The Truth is Waiting
by Bec-Bec
Summary: Chapter 30 has finally placed itself on a page, though quite a bit out of character. Hoping to finish this fic soon. Enjoy. ~Jarod and Parker's adventures in France as they search for the scrolls and the truth.
1. Houdini and the Inner Sense

****

To My Dedicated Readers: I would like to apologize for the state in which the first 16 chapters of this story were posted. I can't believe you would bother to read them the way they were! A friend of mine posted them and hadn't realized that I didn't put empty lines between each line of text…oops…so they were posted directly from Word without proper formatting. As you will notice, ever since Chapter 17, when I took over posting myself, I've posted from an html document so as to save formatting. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES TO YOUR EYES FOR ANY DISTRESS CAUSED TO THEM! I've fixed that little problem now. Thanks so much for submitting yourself to the eye torture and again, my sincere apologies.

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 1

Houdini and the Inner Sense

Ms. Parker was a strong willed person. She had been since the day she was born. She always strived to achieve her goals and, generally, she always succeeded…except at trying to capture Jarod. 

Somehow, he had managed to elude her capture for six years. SIX YEARS. That was forever by her standards. It wasn't her fault, and Broots and Sydney were good at what they did, in their own ways. It's not like she hadn't come close to catching him, it's just that he always found some way to pull a vanishing act and BAM! There she was, back at the drawing board trying to find him again. 

The closest she had come had been on the Island of Carthis. She could have caught him right then and there, if she had wanted to. She had been so close to him that she could have,…well, she had been close. But then, he pulled another Houdini, and there she was again, stuck at the Centre, trying to find out where Wonder Boy was this week. 

It might not have been such a bad arrangement if he didn't taunt her with endless metaphorical objects as hints to his location, and the past. That just pushed her too far. Slipping through her fingers was one thing, but throwing it in her face was another. No one mocked a Parker. So, she sought her revenge, and the hunt continued.

****

Lately, Ms. Parker had been having terrible nightmares. They had started after she returned from the island. Normally, bad dreams were just unsettling, but to Ms. Parker, they were worse. She had what Sydney had dubbed "The Inner Sense," something like intuition, but stronger. It usually spoke to her in the voice of her mother, but she wasn't as good at understanding it has her brother, Ethan. 

Ethan could hear the voice all of the time, she just heard it when something bad was going to happen or could happen if she didn't stop it. In the case of her dream, she could tell there was something more. Her Inner Sense practically screamed it at her. The problem was, she couldn't understand what it meant.

****

Inside Ms. Parkers dream

Ms. Parker walks down an empty street on the island. 

She can tell something is wrong. 

Each step fills her with more dread. 

She sees something lying in the street and as she comes closer, she realizes it is Ocee's dead body. 

Stepping back abruptly, she looks to her right and sees the ghost of Angel pointing at something. 

She turns her head and discerns a man with a flaming tree branch from the shadows. 

As he moves near her, she recognizes that it is Raines. 

She turns around and begins to run. 

She can see Jarod standing at the end of the street, but before she gets there, she feels claws tear into her side. 

She falls to the ground crying out, "Jarod! Jarod!" and then she wakes up

****

Ms. Parkers Bedroom

Ms. Parker sighed defeatedly as she slumped back aginst her headborad. She'd just awakened from another nightmare. Again, she wondered why the dream had not stopped its nightly visit and what on earth it could possibly mean.

Her thoughts were jumbled as her tired mind tried to comprehend what it kept witnessing.

"It doesn't make any sense. I already knew that Raines was a psychopath and I'd never in my life let him touch me," she cringed at the thought, "maybe Angel is trying to tell me something, but what? Why do I feel so let down by Jarod? Could it possibly be that…I love him." 

Overwhelmed at the thought, she grabbed a bottle of pills on her nightstand and quickly swallowed two of the blue capsules. 

"I can't love Wonder boy…I want him dead…I want to drag him into the Centre on his knees while he begs for his freedom, and then…" she stopped for a moment. "Who am I bringing Jarod back to the Centre for? My father's gone and I'd rather die than give Raines the satisfaction of Jarod's return. Yet, I can't give up the chase, the thrill of impending capture is too strong. I don't want it to ever stop. Or…is it that I don't want the Centre to hurt him…I don't want him hurt at all. 

"Damn it ! Damn it! Damn it! Why does Jarod mean so much to me? I can't love him. I don't love anyone. Love makes people weak, love gets people killed. I'm a Parker, the only thing Parkers love is power. I want the power, not Jarod…power…power…

"Who am I kidding? Lyle wants power, My father wanted power, Raines wants power and I don't want to be like any one of them. All I want is the truth…about who I am…and who my mother was, and for that case, my father. Jarod's the only one that tells me the truth. But, I can't love Jarod. I have no heart to love with…or do I?…Oh God…"

Ms. Parker's medication finally kicked in and relieved her of the war occuring in her soul. The unanswered questions of her dream still hung in the air, weighing heavily on her drugged sleep.


	2. The Chase Continues

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 2

The Chase Continues

Jarod had escaped from the Centre six years ago. He had been on the run ever since. His natural abilities made it easier for him to resist captivity; he could become anyone he wanted to be, that's why the Centre wanted him back. The Centre wanted to exploit his gifts to torture and even kill people. The mere thought revolted him on a daily basis. He would not allow them to take him back. So, he played the Centre's game, for his life. 

He toyed with Ms. Parker, which slightly amused him and yet disgusted him at the same time. Annoying her at least helped him to see a little bit of the passion he knew she had within her…even if it was a passion for capturing him. But, that was their game. It was better than never talking to her at all. 

Then, there was Sydney. Sydney was like his father. He always gave Jarod advice and Jarod was greatful. He was also sure that Sydney was one of the reasons the Centre hadn't brought him back yet. Sydney, in some small way, kept the Centre from finding him because he wanted Jarod to experience life in the real world, and not the black and white of a Centre lab. 

Slowly, Jarod gained the experiences that most people had by the time they were ten, and he helped some people along the way. After all, using his talents to help people seemed a better use for them than killing. At the same time, he uncovered pieces of his past. He searched to find out who his parents were and his brothers and sister and at the same time…he found out more about Ms. Parker's family. 

That was the only reason that he continued his game with the Centre, because he needed to find out about the past…and maybe because Ms. Parker's happiness was important to him…but, his worrying about her hadn't seemed to matter at all…to her…day and night, this was just the twisted world he lived in.

****

Ever since their return from the island, Jarod had been watching Ms. Parker closely…without her knowing about it. Every night, he would see her toss and turn…and cry. Ms. Parker never allowed herself to cry. She thought she was too strong for it, that's what worried him. If something was bad enough to make her cry, there must be something terribly wrong.

So, he watched her, every night, hoping that one day she would allow him to protect her from all of the harshness of her life. He wanted to talk to her so much, to let her now that no matter how hard se pushed, he wasn;t going to go away. He hoped that she would realize he was the only one she could ever trust…the only one who would tell her the truth because she deserved to know it. 

But right now, he couldn't rush in and soothe all of her bad dreams. He couldn't take her away from the Centre…because she wasn't ready to leave. Instead, he waited until he could be sure that if he trusted her, she wasn't going to turn around and hand him over to the Centre. He had offered her another path before… now, he would offer it again…but not until she was ready. This time, he wanted her to come with him. For now, he would just have to stay one step removed from her, close enough to save her, but far enough not to get caught.

****

A tree outside of Ms. Parker's House

Jarod watched Ms. Parker through binoculars from a tree outside her bedroom window. He frowned as he saw her wake up screaming from her nightmare. When she looked as though she had settled back in, he waited a few more minutes for her to fall asleep. Then, he crawled down from his treetop perch and crept silently to her back door. 

"I've probably broken into over 100 buildings by now, but none will ever make me as nervous as Ms. Parker's house…or the Centre," he thought, as he picked the lock and swung the door open. He walked quickly into her house to turn off the alarm.

"Wait, the alarm's not on. I wonder why she didn't set the alarm. That's not like her. I'll have to remember to set it before I leave. It wouldn't be safe to leave her unprotected…You never know what the Centre's up to and as much as I'd like to, I can't be outside of her door all of the time." 

He checked to make sure the scrambling device he had in his pocket was on.

"I don't want the goons at the Centre to know I was here and I don't know where their bugs are, but I know they're always watching." 

He put the scrambling device down on the coffee table in Ms. Parker's living room and went back to the door to pick up the bag he had left there. He opened the bag and pulled out a small white box with a lavender bow tied on it. 

As he placed the box on the coffee table, he though to himself, "Well, Ms. Parker, just because you won't let me give you the gift of freedom, it doesn't mean I can't give you something else. You won't understand what it is until you read the note, but even you can appreciate what it means…if you let yourself." 

He walked over to Ms. Parker's bedroom and slowly went inside. 

"She looks peaceful now…she's beautiful when she's asleep. If only she would come away with me.." he stopped himself. 

Wishes weren't going to get him anywhere…they never had before. Whatever he wanted to happen he had to make happen. 

Ms. Parker stirred in her sleep and Jarod held his breath, not ready for her to wake up and find him there. She settled back in and he let his breath go. Then he remembered her medication. 

"I should check to see what she's taking to make sure that its what it says it is. Who knows what the Centre might have given her." 

He picked up the bottle to read the label. 

"Mmm…it's a mild sedative. Sydney perscribed it. I can trust it. He would never try to hurt Ms. Parker." He put the bottle back down and pulled a lavender candle and lighter out of his bag. He lit the candle and slowly backed out of the room. He had read somewhere that lavender helped soothe people and soothing was exactly what Ms. Parker needed. 


	3. Lavender, Gift Boxes, and Strangers in t...

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 3

Lavender, Gift Boxes, and Strangers in the Night

Ms. Parker had a slight headache when she woke up in the morning. The effects of the drugs made her dizzy, and the room spun a little when she lifted her head. Becoming more aware, she could smell a gentle scent. 

"Lavender," she breathed softly. 

She turned toward her night table and saw the candle burning low. Realizing she hadn't left the candle there, she sat bolt upright in bed, causing the room to spin some more. She pulled herself together and grabbed for the gun she kept under her pillow. 

"Someone's been in my house and if it's a rat from the Centre, I'm going shooting today." 

Standing up, she pointed the gun towards her bedroom door and walked out, ignoring the slight quiver the room made when she stood up. She investigated the entire house but found nothing. 

"Great, now I'm going insane, there probably wasn't even a candle there." 

Just to make sure, she went back to her room. The candle was about to go out. 

"Okay, at least I'm not crazy. Oh, but I do have a hangover." 

She grabbed for her door frame as the room did a little dance. She made her way over to the couch in her living room and sat down. She rubbed her temples. And closed her eyes.

"I have to remember to ask Syd if the side effect of this medication is having to watch your furniture do a ballet." 

She sat still a few seconds more before deciding she desperately needed some coffee.

Opening her eyes slowly, she noticed Jarod's gift for the first time. She picked up the box and the note and recognized Jarod's handwriting on the note. Realizing he was the one who had been in her house, she slammed the box back down. 

"How dare he come in my house while I'm asleep. What gives him the right to intrude? I'm sure he'd never do anything, but still, it pisses me off. Why doesn't Wonder Boy get a life?" 

Then it hit her, he had no life because she had helped to keep him from one. Hunting him down kept him from ever settling in and having a family. Not wanting to think about Jarod's situation anymore, she let curiosity get the better of her and picked the box up again. Never one to enjoy suspense, unless she was creating it, she decided to open the box before she read the note. She untied the bow and opened the little box. Inside was a small bunch of lavender. Not understanding what it meant, she picked up the note. 

"Ms. Parker," she read, "I hope the lavender soothed you. Jarod. Hmm…short…and cute," she said sarcastically. She thought for a moment. "I hope the lavender soothed you," she repeated to herself. She stood up angrily. "He's been watching me! How else could he know I wasn't sleeping well?! I don't need him feeling sorry for me. I hate that! God!" She stalked to her back door, ignoring how her vision blurred. She had to see if she could find whre he had been watching her from. When she got there, she noticed that the alarm had been set. "I didn't set the alarm," she thought, "Why would he set my alarm? He'd already broken in." Her anger began to fade away. "He's making sure I'm safe. Damn it Jarod," she laughed, "Why do you have to be so sweet? It annoys the hell out of me!"


	4. Thoughts and Worries About Children

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 4

Thoughts and Worries About Children

Sydney had been working for the Centre since he was young. He had been recruited to help train special children so they could use their remarkable abilities. Jarod had been his first assignment. Back then, he had believed the Centre was doing good work, helping parents to have children and furthering scientific theory. It was not until Catherine Parker had come to him that he learned what the Centre was really doing. 

Catherine had been wonderful. She had stumbled onto a natural gift she possesed…the Inner Sense. She asked his help in developing it, and as he helped her, she began to learn all of the secrets about the Centre. She never told him all of what she knew, probably to protect him, but he knew she was killed because she was trying to free the children after what she learned. 

When Ms. Parker had discovered that she too had the Inner Sense, he was afraid of what might happen if he helped her develop it and he refused to train her abilities. He had already lost one Parker that he loved he wasn't about to let himself lose another…especially one that might be his daughter from his affair with Catherine. 

The families of the Centre were so connected that it was hard to tell where one ended and the next one began. Mr. Parker could not have have children, but the thought of Raines as Ms. Parker's father was unbelievable…He wished on so many days that he was Ms. Parker's father, …but just like Jarod, wishes had gotten him nowhere. 

Jarod had always felt like a son to Sydney, after all, he raised him from when he was a child. So, day after day, he walked around, fearing for the safety of his two children. He didn't want Jarod caught and he didn't want Ms. Parker hurt…but this was the world of the Centre, where no one was safe, anyone could be family, and anyone could turn around and stab you in the back.

****

Sydney's Office at the Centre

Sydney was sitting in his office looking over some paperwork for a set of twins who knew quantum physics at the tender age of four, when the phone rang. 

"Hello," he answered. 

"Hello Sydney," Jarod familiar voice echoed into his ear, "I was hoping you could help me with something." 

"Well, I should hope this is business involving the Centre." This was his way of warning Jarod that someone was undoubtedly listening to their conversation. 

"Of course, Sydney. You know the lengths I go to to protect myself. The Centre should be tracing this call to Tokyo, Japan, and I'm not anywhere near it."

Sydney chuckled, "Of course Jarod."

"This is regarding Ms. Parker, or rather, Ms. Parker's father." 

"Sometime I'd like to talk to you more about this," Sydney hinted that it was more complicated than he knew, "but for now, Raines is the same as usual." 

"Of course…but, I meant Mr. Parker. Biologically, Raines may be Ms. Parker's father, but he will never truly be her father." 

"You sound like her," Sydney smiled to himself, "What would you like to know about Mr. Parker? As far as we know, he's dead.

"Sydney, you know better than that," Jarod said grimly, "No one at the Centre ever really dies."

"Except for Catherine," Sydney said softly.

Jarod tried to avoid the topic. He knew Catherine's death had hurt Sydney deeply, "Did the Centre find the scrolls?"

"No, Jarod. Do you know where they are?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

Sydney switched subjects back to Ms. Parker, "Why are you concerned about Ms. Parker?" 

"Syd, you know as well as I do, she hasn't been sleeping well. I was just trying to figure out why. I thought you might know."

"She's been having a recurring dream. Something involving Raines and you. Something regarding the island. Jarod, what happened out on that island?"

"…I can't tell you that…ask Ms. Parker."

" I would, but she won't tell me. I asked her before. I might be able to help her if you told me," Sydney coaxed.

"A lot of things happened out on that island Syd, none of which I should envolve you in. It's too dangerous for me to tell you anymore than I have," Jarod said sternly.

"Okay, Jarod. I understand."

"Sydney I have important work to do."

"Regarding the scrolls?"

"…Yes."

"Jarod, be careful. There are a lot of people looking for you now. The Centre is changing. It's not the same as it was before. You can't play your game with Ms. Parker and I the same anymore. It's not safe."

"Thanks, Sydney," Jarod hung up.

Sydney sat for a moment, thinking over what Jarod had said. He was interested in what the scrolls could tell them, but worried as well. 

"I wish I knew what happened on that island," Sydney thought, "If Jarod's worried about Ms. Parker, something must definitely be wrong." 

He became more worried as he thought about it longer. How could he protect them if he didn't know who or what he needed to protect them from? Sydney was left to his thoughts and worries as the day continued.


	5. Things are Changing

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 5

Things are Changing

Ms. Parker's Office at the Centre

Ms. Parker arrived at her office a little later than usual. The loopy side effects of the drugs made her head hurt and she waited for them to wear off before driving to the Centre. The gift from Jarod had also slowed her down. 

She had started to give in to the thoughts swirling in her head. She began to think of how a relationship with Jarod would be. 

When they were sitting in the limo after they had been taken from the island, Jarod had asked her to take a different path. He had hoped that she would turn to him and that they could fight the Centre together. At the time, the decision was too overwhelming for her to handle and she had taken the easy path, staying with the Centre. But now, it was starting to feel like all of the icy walls she had built up to shut love out, were keeping her from finding out the truth as well. Perhaps it was true, what they say, it isn't always easy to do the right thing.

Yet, she was reluctant to leave behind her family, as demented as they might be…this was still her life. She had just settled into her chair behind her desk to think about it some more when Lyle entered.

"Ms. Parker," he said in his usual breezy tone, "You should know that Jarod called the Centre this morning to talk to Sydney. He's looking for the scrolls."

"And…," Ms. Parker said, annoyed by his presence.

"And, we intend to let him. It will be much easier to get the scrolls from him than to try and track them down ourselves," Lyle continued.

"You're forgetting that you'd still have to track down Jarod," Ms. Parker hissed, standing up.

"That's easy sis, he'll be wherever you are because you will be the one finding him."

"Why don't you leave those damned scrolls where they belong, at the bottom of the ocean, with our father," Ms. Parker said, angrily.

"Wake up Ms. Parker," Lyle bit back, "Mr. Parker is not our father. Raines is. The Centre is changing and if you aren't careful, you're going to end up with dear old 'dad' at the bottom of the ocean."

"Get out of my office, Lyle. As long as I'm in this office, I still have more power at the Centre than you," Ms. Parker said bitterly.

Lyle smiled devilishly, "I guess you didn't believe that Raines is the boss now, and as his loyal son, I'm next in line to run this place."

"You make me sick. You would do anything to get more power, probably even kill your new loving father. Oops, I hope he didn't hear that, but then, everyone at the Centre's always listening."

"Be careful Parker," Lyle sneered, "Be careful." He walked out.

Ms. Parker sat back down at her desk. She was upset now. "If Raines or his evil protegee dare to go after Jarod, I'll…" Ms. Parker thought, then paused, "What can I do? Why do I even care about what happens to Jarod?" She swiveled in her chair and got up. "I need to talk to Sydney," she said aloud, and walked out of her office.


	6. Another Clue

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 6

Another Clue

Broots had been working at the Centre for a while now. When he had gotten the job there, he had been amazed. He had known the Centre was on the upscale end of technology and never believed they'd hire him. When they did, he assumed he would be doing mindless typing and program writing. Instead, he had hacked into nearly every secret and elite organization, changed government records, altered surveilance footage, and done an endless number of other illegal things. The problem was, once he found out what he was really doing, he couldn't quit. People who quit the Centre…died. 

The Centre trusted no one and if anyone were to leak information to the government, they knew the entire Centre would cease to exist. He couldn't risk his death because he didn't want anything bad to happen to his daughter Debbie. So, he was stuck at the Centre. 

He didn't mind it too much though, if he didn't think about what he was doing he was just fine. Syd treated him well too. So, at least he wasn't treated poorly…except maybe by Ms. Parker. 

Ms. Parker just had this power over him. Whenever she came into a room, he was a bumbling stuttering fool…or maybe he was always like that and she just brought it out more. He knew he had a pension for rambling. In any case, Ms. Parker was usually rude and abrasive to him. Sometimes she was nice, but usually she just barked at him. Maybe it was some inferiority complex he had, but he never felt he did his job exactly how Ms. Parker wanted it. However, he sometimes thought she had a superioriy complex. 

Oh well. He just always went along with what she said and everything seemed to work out okay…usually.

****

Broots Desk on the Computer Tech Floor

Broots was tapping away at his keyboard when a member of the Centre's security staff dropped off a large wooden box, another clue from Jarod. He had the man move it into the room where Sydney, Ms. Parker, and he usually did their work. Then, he went to Sydney's office to tell him about the new arrival. 

He opened the door and found Ms. Parker already inside, speaking in a low voice to Sydney. Stopping, she turned an angry face at Broots.

"Speak up or get out Broots."

"I jus-just thought y-you'd like to know…."

"Spit it out Broots."

"…Jarod sent us another clue," Broots finally finished.

"Okay Broots, thanks," Ms Parker said mildly sarcastic before turning back to Sydney.

"I'll just go and…wait then," Broots let himself out of the office.

As Broots returned to his desk, he thought, "Why do I annoy her so much? And what was she talking to Sydney about in secret?" he sighed, "Why don't you just give up Broots, no one will ever treat you better than second class, especially Ms. Parker." 

Just then, Broots' phone rang. His daughter, Debbie, needed to be picked up from school, she wasn't feeling well. After he hung up, Broots made an awkward half smile. "You'll always be a hero to her," he thought, "what does it matter what Ms. Parker thinks anyway? She's got far too many problems of her own to deal with." Feeling better, Broots left to go pick up his daughter.

****

Sydney, Ms. Parker, and Broots' Work Room

When Ms. Parker and Sydney were done with their talk, they went to look at Jarod's latest delivery. Sydney was a little out of sorts after what Ms. Parker told him. She had finally explained what had happened out on the island…even what happened with Jarod. 

The relationship with Jarod made sense though. He knew from the first time they met in the sim lab that Jarod and Ms. Parker shared something special. Mr. Parker had been their only hinderence…and then Ms. Parker had lost her mother. But, now the anger that Mr. Parker had groomed in his daughter seemed to be disipating…and it was because of Jarod, and the power of the truths Ms. Parker was discovering. 

No, the relationship with Jarod was not surprising, it was expected even. After all, he was the only man who never lied to her. What threw him the most was the fact that Ms. Parker's dream was a part of her Inner Sense. 

He was worried wbout what might happen if the Centre discovered her abilities were stronger. They already knew about the dream and the medication he had put her on. Apparently, talking about all of it made it easier for her, but now he was weighted down with even more worries. 

If anyone at the Centre found out about a relationship with Jarod, they would kill her…but they'd probably also kill her if she learned what her mother had from her Inner Sense. 

Sydney was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when Ms. Parker started banging on the wooden box Jarod had sent with a hammer. 

"Let's see what mystery Jarod's cooked up today," she said bluntly.

The wooden crate split open and inside they found a box wrapped in shiny gold paper. A note attached to the top said:

I'm close. Very close, without being inside the Centre itself. Catchme if you can,but remember, I may not run, even if you chase.

There was also another box, with no note.

"I take it this has a double meaning," Sydney said, remembering what she had told him about her last phone call with Jarod. The specific phrase, "You run, I chase, just like aways," echoed in his head. 

Ms. Parker nodded. "Then I suggest you keep it with you. I don't know who's watching right now," Sydney warned.

The inside of the golden box was empty. The other box contained a copy of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

"Great, Houdini's on a dead English poet kick," Ms. Parker said sarcastically

"I wonder what it's supposed to mean," Sydney said, "I'll have to examine it to see if somethings hidden inside of the box itself. I'll tell Raines what we've found, minus the note, keep the book with you…Jarod might call and talk about it with you…I have a feeling it's meant only for you. Good luck Parker," Sydney said as he squeezed her arm and then left.


	7. The Big Evil Plan

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 7

The Big Evil Plan

Raines knew he wasn't well liked by the people at the Centre, especially his daughter, Ms. Parker. She could not accept that he was her biological father. But then, sometimes, neither could he. It was hard to tell who Ms. Parker's father really was…especially with the way the Triumverate changed every truth you would ever find. Raines, himself, didn't know everything about the Centre, though he knew a great deal more than most people thought. 

At least he was in charge now. He didn't really care what Ms. Parker thought of him, so long as she stayed at the Centre. He needed her to help him carry out the plan that the Centre had started back when it was first created. 

Since the Parkers had first founded the Centre, they had one objective, to find and exploit geniuses, using their gifts to obtain money and slowly gain control of the entire technological world. 

They used the guise of a research laboratory which helped men and women to have children. If the children had special abilities, they were taken. The parents were told that their child had either died or gone off to a special school. Sometimes the parents were killed if they didn't believe either case. 

Back when they had stumbled onto the gifts of a pretender, they knew they had found what they would need to help them achieve their goal. That's where Jarod fit into the whole plan. Jarod was the best pretender they had found. Right now, he needed Ms. Parker to bring back Jarod. 

It had been six years since Jarod's escape, and that was six years to long in Raines opinion. He felt that Mr. Parker had let his daughter off too easy for every time she missed capturing Jarod. Now that he was in charge, things were going to change. There would be no more slip ups. Sure, Jarod was a genius, but there was no way he could outsmart a team of twenty Centre operatives searching for him. 

That was Raines' first plan of action, to add people to Ms. Parker's search party. She would argue with him at first, he was sure, but in the end, he knew she would join the hunt. She was, after all, a Parker.

****

Lyle was upset by his conversation with Ms. Parker. He wasn't sure why he even bothered to talk to her. She thought he was scum…and really, he was. Still, family was important to him because he had never really had one. He wasn't even sure he had one now. He had no idea who his real family was, Ms. Parker might not even be his sister. 

He was beginning to find out more of the truth about the Centre and it was starting to scare him, though he'd never admit it. He had tried to warn Ms. Parker of what Raines had in store, but why would she trust him? Besides, he was starting to think that Raines would be the least of their problems…something was coming. He didn't know what, or how he could tell, but he knew they were in danger. But then, the Centre was always dangerous. 

For now, he decide to play along, the way he always did…scaring Ms. Parker out of her wits would amuse him…as long as she didn't die. The Centre's big plan was in action, and he was definitely going to be a part of it, dangerous or not, loyal to the cause…or not.


	8. The Doll and the Body

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 8

The Doll and the Body

Ms. Parker's House

Ms. Parker arrived at home around 7:00 pm, the sun was just setting as she pulled into her driveway. She was still confused about Jarod and all of the thinking was giving her a headache and making her very tired. She had left the Centre early so she could get some sleep…hopefully. Sydney had given her new medication that would supposedly not make her dizzy. When she got to the door, she could hear the phone ringing inside. Thinking that it might be Jarod, she paused for a moment, trying to decide whether to rush in and answer it or not. Finally, she opened the door and ran to the phone; it was still her job to find Jarod. She quickly checked to see if there was a bug on her phone, found it, smashed it, and answered the phone.

"What do you want this time, Wonder Boy?"she hissed, proud of her ability to sound the same as usual.

"This Katherine reminds me of you."

Ms. Parker pulled the copy of The Taming of the Shrew out of her bag before answering, "Well, I suppose it is fitting, Catherine is my middle name.

"I don't understand why she won't allow anyone to love her. Why is she so angry?"

Ms. Parker knew full well that Jarod knew why, but she answered anyway…after all, he was talking about her, not Katherine. "Because, Jarod, she's afraid she can't love back, or if she does, the person she loves will die…like her mother," her voice had lost its edge and sounded very tired.

"I wonder if her mother was named Katherine too."

"Probably not, Jarod, it's Shakespeare. His people all have names like Petruchio and Benvolio or Pinnochio."

"Who's Pinnochio?"

"He's the wooden…never mind." She remembered just how much the Centre had caused Jarod to miss out on as a child. She paused and the line was silent.

"Ms. Parker…" Jarod sounded worried, "are you alright?"

Realizing she was sounding weak, she put her poker face back on, with its cold voice, "I'm perfectly fine, Wonder Boy, just annoyed that I've spent this much time having a little book of the month club with you. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss? Perhaps Oprah's newest pick?"

"Look on your bed," Jarod said, abruptly ending the phone call.

She walked briskly over to her bedroom, wondering what mystery Jarod had left her this time. She found a large box with a lavender bow sitting on her bed. She picked the box up and carried it into her living room. She placed it on her coffee table and immediately sat down to open it. She untied the bow and folded it up neatly, placing it next to the one from her gift in the morning. Then, slowly, she pulled off the lid, not sure what to expect. Inside was a china doll. It was gorgeous. With a start, she realized it was identical to the doll that Angel had. 

"What's Jarod trying to tell me?" she wondered. 

She pulled the doll gently out of the box and searched the bottom for a note. Instead, she found an article clipped from the newspaper. It was written in French. Luckily, Jarod had highlighted and translated a section of it because her French was a little rusty. Jarod's translation said:

Several ancient scrolls have been found on the Normandy coast. They are believed to be ancient documents, treasured as a prophecy. The scrolls are beingkept in a local museum as they await authentication. Many have feared that thesescrolls are protected by the devil and wish them burned, however, their valuemay be too great for such a destruction. Many people have searched for thesescrolls and died in the pursuit.

"They found the scrolls," Ms Parker thought, a bit stunned, "I wonder if they found…my father."

****

In France, two boys were walking along the beach with their dog, when he ran off into the woods. The boys chased after the dog and found him barking at a large black lump, near the edge of the forest. The boys realized that the lump resembled the shape of a man, and went to find someone to come and take care of the situation. They were stunned and surprised because no one ever came near their small stretch of the coast. They ran off calling for their parents. When they returned with their parents, they flipped the lump over. They jumped back with surprisep; there, by the edge of the forest, was the cold dead body of Mr. Parker.


	9. If You Could Dream

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 9:

If You Could Dream

Ms. Parker had fallen asleep on the couch, overwhelmed at the thought of the scrolls. Worn out by all of the dreadful thoughts that kept circulating through her mind, she had drifted off into unpeaceful dreams. 

When she woke up, it was midnight. The power of her terrible dreams still lingered over her. 

Slowly, they began to fade away and she was left in the dark silence. She wasn't sure why, but her mind seemed less tumultuous. She thought, for a long time, about everything and, sometimes, as the mind is apt to do, nothing at all. 

She wound through the mazes of information she had gathered over the years, trying to piece together everything she could. Though she didn't want to admit it, Jarod was the only reason she knew any parts of the truth. Maybe it was time for her to put an end to the chase…maybe she should join him and try to put an end to the Centre. 

It seemed as though they had been caught in the web of the Centre forever; caught in suspension, somewhere between hell and the hellish truth…whichever came first.

Suddenly, she got the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. It did not feel menacing though, it felt more like how your guardian angel would look at you when you were having a particularly bad day. A reassuring warmth almost. It reminded her of her mother. 

She walked to her window and peered out into the black night, but didn't see anyone. She was about to go to her bedroom when the phone rang. Only one person ever called at this time of night. 

"Well, hello Wonder Boy," Ms. Parker said, after picking up the phone. She used her usual annoyed phone voice, not willing to let Jarod know the change that her emotions were undergoing. 

"What have you thought of my gifts?"

"They were alright, if you like sentimentality. By the way, its illegal to enter someone's home without their permission."

"Well, it's not like you can call the cops, what are you going to tell them? The man you've been trying to return to a facility they don't know exists is a genius who can become anything he wants to be?" Jarod played along with her annoyance, "For all you know, I might be a cop right now."

"Are you?" Ms. Parker asked, trying to get a hint at where he was.

"Parker, you know I wouldn't tell you that, half the fun of our little game involves you trying to find out where, and what, I am."

Ms. Parker sighed with annoyance. "Well, as usual I'm stuck trying to decode whatever menial bit of infromation you've left me."

"You're sounding a bit tired of our game, Parker. Ready to give up?"

"I will not give up until the day I find you and drag you back into hell with me."

"Well here's a question for you, why do either of us have to stay in hell?" he asked, trying to persuade her like he had in the limo at the airport.

"Jarod, I already answered this question, I can't leave the Centre. The Centre is my life. It always will be."

"Parker, the choices you make are your own."

"Jarod, we're just going in circles here," she sighed.

"What would you dream of doing tomorrow if you could do anything?" he asked, trying to tip the scale in his favor.

"Jarod, there is no dreaming in my world."

"Parker, it's a simple question, just answer it," he coaxed her.

"Nothing in my world is simple."

"For god sakes woman! Forget for once in your life that everything in our world is complicated," he replied angrily, losing his patience.

Ms. Parker was shocked and didn't say anything. Jarod never yelled at her. He would speak with frustration, or be snide, but he would never yell. She thought for a moment before deciding to respond, "Jarod…do you remember that day that my father sent me to boarding school and I came to say goodbye before I left?"

"Yes," Jarod replied. All of his anger was gone, he just sounded tired, very tired.

"Well, I would dream of that day. Instead of being sent away, I would stay, and we would grow up together."

"Really…?" Jarod questioned.

"No," Ms. Parker laughed wickedly. She wouldn't dare to let him know how much he mattered to her.

"Good bye Ms. Parker," Jarod said as he abruptly hung up the phone.

Ms. Parker was left in the silence she had created…alone. "Damn it!" she thought "Why do I always have to play the Ice Queen? He's offering me another world, why don't I just take it?" She covered her face with her hands. "He sounded so sad, like he'd lost his best friend." She sat up straight. "I am his best friend." She sat for a long time, thinking some more, the air, as usual, full of unanswered questions.


	10. Wise Up

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I also do not own Aimee Mann's song "Wise Up," nor do I have permission to use it. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 10

Wise Up

When Ms. Parker got home the next night, she turned on a CD, hoping to fill the silence so she wouldn't have to think about how miserable she was anymore. A song she had never heard before began to play, Jarod must have left it. "Damn Wonder Boy and his tokens of affection," she thought. 

The song was Aimee Mann's "Wise Up." As the lyrics drifted through her house, she began to cry.

__

It's not, what you thought,

When you first began it.

You got, what you want.

You can hardly stand it though,

But I know,

It's not going to stop,

It's not going to stop,

It's not going to stop,

Til you wise up.

You're sure, there's a cure,

And you have finally found it.

You think, one drink,

Will shrink you till you're underground

And living down,

But, it's not going to stop,

It's not going to stop,

It's not going to stop,

Til you wise up.

Prepare a list for what you need,

Before you sign away the deed,

'Cause it's not going to stop,

It's not going to stop,

It's not going to stop,

Till you wise up.

No it's not going to stop,

Till you wise up.

No it's not going to stop,

So just, give up…

Ms. Parker cryed even harder as the CD stopped and the words began to sink in, smothering her in the lonely silence of her house. She knew exactly what Jarod was trying to tell her…none of this would stop unless she made it stop. 

She drank an entire bottle of Vodka, forgetting about how bad it was for her ulcer, as she tried to drown all of her sorrows like she usually did. 

She fell asleep on the couch. 

Her sleep was as tormented, as usual, but with the blurred edges of alcohol. She had the same dream, but, this time, there was something added. Jarod was no longer waiting for her at the end of the street, but at the end of the Parker graveyard and when she fell to the ground, she noticed what one of the gravestones said. Etched in the stone were the word's beloved niece Anna Parker. 

Ms. Parker woke with a start. "Who was Anna Parker?" she wondered. "Is she just an image created by the Vodka…or…" 

She could tell there was something more to it and that it was incredibly important that she find out. It was part of her inner sense. She always trusted her mother's voice…except when it came to Jarod. 

Her inner sense kept telling her to go with Jarod, to break down the icy walls she had built up around her heart, and destroy the Centre. After all, that's what her mother had tried to do. Yet, Jarod would always be the man she loved to chase and never wanted to catch. 

Still, maybe that game was too risky, she already cared about him more than she wanted to, and either option she chose, she stood the chance of losing the man she loved…if she loved him. Perhaps it was worth it if she could just have him for just a moment, even if he got killed…but she didn't want him to die. She couldn't let him keep playing the game though. With Raines in charge, the Centre would find him…and kill him. 

As more and more overwhelming thoughts entered her mind, she sat, curled up on the couch, trying to hide away from the things she didn't want to confront. Then, she heard the handle of her back door click and turn. She leaned back in the shadows, waiting to see who it was. Jarod walked into her living room and stood for a moment staring at her. "Hello, Ms. Parker," he breathed.

"Jarod," Ms. Parker cried out. She ran to him and hugged him. 

Jarod was surprised and unsure of what to do. Parker hated physical contact. Why would she hug him? Slowly, he decided to hug her back.

She sobbed and then peeled herself away from him. She dropped her eyes down to the floor and turned around. She walked away from him and stood by the window. Jarod walked over to the couch and sat, waiting to hear what she would say.

"I shouldn't have done that," she whispered.

Jarod just sat silently.

"Jarod, I can't do this…I want to…so much…but I can't. It doesn't work this way. You run, I chase, being together throws all of that out of the window." She turned a little and stared at him, but his eyes choked her up so she had to turn away again. "How can I do this?" she thought, "What can I say? I'm sorry that my family hurt your family so much? I'm sorry for chasing you all those years? Oh, why is this so difficult? I think that I love him, why do I have to be as cold and calm and composed as I always am?" 

She thought for a while more and made her decision. She spoke curtly, coldness entering her voice, "Jarod, I wanted to thank you for the lavender, and the doll, and the song…and you should probably go now." She stopped. "I'm sorry mama," she thought, in response to the voice in her head, "I'm sorry but I can't." She spoke again, "Seriously, Jarod, you should go, its not safe anymore and you can't be here. I'm supposed to be chasing you. If you stay, I might have to take you in to the Centre."

Suddenly, Jarod was behind her. She hadn't heard him get up.

"You don't really want me to go. For as long as you've been lying to yourself and everyone else, I can still read your face like an open book." 

She turned around quickly, ready to give him one of her usual nasty replies about his being a lab rat, when he caught hold of her arm and pulled her toward him. They stood there for a long time, her head pressed against his chest, his chin resting on her head. Even as parts of her soul screamed at her to let go of him and move away, all she could hear was her mother's voice saying, "This is right. This is how it should be." She realized, for this first time since she was little, that Jarod's arms were one of the only places she felt safe. 

She fell asleep standing in his arms…all of the years of lies had finally worn her out.


	11. A Game of Cat and Mouse

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 11

A Game of Cat and Mouse

In the morning, Ms. Parker woke up lying on the couch next to Jarod, his arms still wrapped tightly around her, like she was going to vanish if he let her go. She smiled to herself. Nothing had happened the night before, it was just one long memorable hug. 

She remembered falling asleep in his arms. He must have carried her to the couch and then lay down next to her. 

She had finally slept the whole night through. 

As she watched Jarod sleep, she thought of how it would feel to kiss him. She remembered wanting to kiss him, when they had been on the island. She wished she had kissed him right then and changed her whole life. Yet, some part of her still told her that her life would never change the way she wanted it to. 

Jarod's eyes fluttered opened slowly, interrupting her thoughts. "Good morning," he smiled.

"Morning," she whispered back as her smile grew even wider.

"Well, Ms. Parker," Jarod yawned, "what are we going to do now?"

Ms. Parker stood up, the smile leaving her face. A frown replaced it. "I don't know," she said, "this is a really big change and I don't think I can do it. I'm not good at turning points, and I can't trust people. The people I trust…I love them and then they die."

"No one said it would be easy," Jarod replied evenly, "but I think that you can do it…I want you to do it."

"Oh, Jarod," Ms. Parker sighed heavily, plopping herself down in a chair, "But no one said it was going to be this hard either. What are we going to do? I can't turn you into the Centre, because it would mean getting rid of the only person in my life that's never let me down. But, I betray my whole family if I let you go. Yet, I can't pretend I didn't see you because…I don't want to. Still, my job…"

"Well…" Jarod started reluctantly, "you could leave with me. We could run away, right now, leave it all behind. But, you wouldn't do that before…what's changed now?"

Ms. Parker started slowly, trying to find the right words, "I've changed Jarod…or at least, I'm trying to. You know I'd love to, but I couldn't live that way, wondering if when I turn the corner on a street, a sweeper team is going to come and kidnap me and take me away from a life I've so carefully constructed."

"Isn't that how I've been living all these years?" Jarod said softly.

Ms. Parker sighed again, "See, it will never work. I want it to…so much, but it can't work. In the end we'll still be stuck in a game of cat and mouse, and I do NOT like playing the mouse."

"Ms. Parker, you're forgetting that the mouse is smaller and can move quicker. Just because he doesn't have claws doesn't mean he loses."

"Oh please, Jarod, have you ever seen a mouse carry in a dead cat that it killed?"

"No," Jarod laughed, "But, that's because the mouse is too smart to drag a dead animal into your house."

Ms. Parker laughed too. "True, I'd probably shoot it if it did."

Jarod stopped laughing and took a serious tone. "Please, Ms. Parker…at least come with me for a little while to see how you like it. A sort of trial run."

Ms. Parker thought for a moment, "Okay. But, you know, it doesn't change anything, the Centre is still after you."

"I know, and we are going to France," Jarod answered back

"What?" 

"France…to find the scrolls."

"You're crazy. We can't just fly off to France," Ms. Parker said, in disbelief.

"Perhaps I am crazy, but I'm going to France. I was going to before, I was just hoping that you'd want to come along, so I waited."

"France?" Ms. Parker repeated, "But the Centre…"

"…will be glad that you've taken some time off so that you could consentrate at work better…at least, I think that's your best excuse."

"So, this is how it starts? We run off together for a week and hope that it changes everything…" Ms. Parker said.

"It may not be the best start, Parker, but happily ever after doesn't happen that fast," Jarod answered compassionately.

"What do the scrolls have to do with happily ever after?"

"If they were important enough that your father died for them, there must be something they have to tell us."

Ms. Parker thought for a moment. Jarod was right, it wasn't happily ever after, but there was a promise of happily ever after. Her mothers voice assured her of it. "Okay" 

"Solution number one, cat and mouse run away together," Jarod replied.

That afternoon, they flew to France.


	12. Crazy Cab Drivers in France

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or any establishment called the Claudette Hotel, if there is one. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 12

Crazy Cab Drivers in France

The hotel that Jarod and Ms. Parker stayed at was in Harfleur, a city on the Normandy coastline. 

When they arrived in France, they were greeted by a man named Henri, a friend of Jarod's from one of his pretends. Henri's son had been kidnapped and Jarod had found him. Henri was eternally grateful and wanted to help in any way he could. When Jarod had phoned to say that he was coming, Henri had reserved the best room in the hotel for him. Henri, however, was not expecting Ms. Parker, needless to say that Ms. Parker was not expecting Henri. 

As Henri bumbled trying to help gather their luggage, Ms. Parker became slightly annoyed at his absentmindedness. She started to think that perhaps Henri's son had not been kidnapped but that Henri had lost him and then believed he had been kidnapped. To top it off, they got lost inside Orly airport, in Paris, for nearly fifteen minutes because Henri refused to follow the signs.

Finally, they got outside of the airport and began to walk to Henri's car. Ms. Parker sincerelly hoped that he had not forgotten where he had parked. She was very tired and was getting into a bad mood. 

"So, Mademoiselle Parker, how long have you known mon ami Jarod?" Henri asked. 

"Since we were children," Ms. Parker answered, hiding her annoyance

"He is interesting, non?" Henri continued, "He does not rest much. He is always working. Are you two here on business?"

"We're looking for a part of our past," Ms. Parker said.

Henri nodded and stopped in front of a very small blue car. "Voila! Mon voiture."

Ms. Parker turned to Jarod and said in disbelief. "Did he just say this was his car?"

"Yes." Jarod laughed. He turned to Henri. "Henri, I don't think there's enough room for us and the luggage."

"Non, non, you will fit." Henri assured them. 

Five minutes later, after a lot of struggling to squeeze the luggage into the car, Henri agreed that they were not going to fit. Jarod and Ms. Parker had to take a train. Unfortunately, the hotel was on the outskirts of Harfleur, so they had to take a cab once they arrived at the train station. They ended up with a taxi driver, Paul, who was not having a particularly good day and did not pay attention to the road much. So, as they were driving along through the beautiful French city, they were bounced around in the back seat. 

Ms. Parker, who was less than thrilled with having to ride in a stuffy airplane, hot train, and deranged cab, had become very annoyed that she bothered to go on this little outting and began to argue with Jarod.

"You had to stay with an old friend didn't you," she said sarcastically.

"What's wrong with Henri?" Jarod said defensively.

"Oh, nothing except that he took fifteen minutes to find the nearest exit at the airport and then he came to pick us up in a car the size of a bread box, forcing us to take a train and a demented cab," she said forcefully. She turned to the cab driver. "Paul could you please not take those turns so fast?" she yelled.

"Pardon?" Paul said.

"Great, cab boy doesn't speak much English," Ms. Parker growled.

Just then, Paul took another wild turn around a corner and Ms. Parker was thrown into Jarod's lap.

Jarod laughed. "Well, Ms. Parker, I guess that was Paul's answer."

"Shut up Wonder boy," Ms. Parker said softly before another wild turn threw her and Jarod into a kiss. The kiss was short and gentle. Then they both pulled back.

"Well, well, Parker." Jarod smiled. He brushed a wisp of hair out of Ms. Parker's face. Paul made one final unruly turn that threw all of Ms. Parker's hair back over her face before announcing that they had arrived. 

Jarod and Ms. Parker untangled themselves from each other and stepped out into the pleasant early morning air of Harfleur.

Ms. Parker straightened herself out, tucking her hair back behind her ears and smoothing the wrinkles out of her suit. "Well Wonder Boy, we're in France, what next?" Ms. Parker asked.

"I don't know about you," Jarod yawned, "but I'm tired. I'm going to bed." Paul was payed a generous tip by Jarod, who warned him to be gentler on his turns, and they entered the hotel. 

Henri's wife, Marguerite, welcomed them to the Claudette hotel and took them up to their room. Henri had not returned with their luggage yet, and Marguerite apologized for the inconvenience. Once inside the room, they noticed that there was only one bed, and Jarod, always the gentleman, decided to sleep on the couch. 

As they lay in the dark, Ms. Parker whispered something barely audible.

"What did you say Parker?" Jarod mumbled sleepily.

"I said 'thanks,'" she whispered back.

"Anytime, Parker, anytime."

They both fell asleep smiling

Author's Note: This chapter was my favorite because, by nature, I'm a sitcom writer. I hope you enjoyed it too! Please Review!!!!!!!!!!!


	13. Who is Anna Parker?

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. . I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 13

Who is Anna Parker?

"Jarod! Jarod!" Ms. Parker screamed. It was noon, but the drapes were drawn to keep the sun out. Jarod was awakened by the familiar words of Ms. Parker's nightmare. The difference was, this time he was there to comfort her. He walked over to the bed and shook her slightly.

"Ms. Parker, wake up."

Ms. Parker slowly woke from her dream and soft tears began to roll down her cheeks. "Jarod, I thought the nigtmares would stop now."

Jarod sat on the bed and pulled her into a warm hug. He stroked her cheek. "Shh…it's okay"

"Jarod, why am I still dreaming?"

"I don't know, Parker. What are you dreaming about? Sydney didn't tell me what happened in your dream, just that I was there and so was Raines."

Ms. Parker recounted her dream, with the Anna Parker addition, and then slumped back down onto the bed.

"Well, it seems to me that we need to find out who this Anna Parker is." Jarod replied calmly.

"And how am I gonna do that, Wonder Boy? Do I look like I've got the Centre's files stashed in my luggage," Ms. Parker said, with some of her usual brashness reentering her voice.

"We'll find out the same way I always find something, hack into the Centre's files or make Broots do all the dirty work by delivering a clue to the Centre."

Ms. Parker laughed. "Lets make Broots do the dirty work. I'd love to see what he and Dr. Freud come up with, without me around."

"Okay, but we have to come up with a really great clue first." Jarod smiled. "It can't be anything easy."

"Speaking of clues, Jarod, what did the empty box mean?"

"You didn't know?" Jarod said in disbelief. "I was sure you'd figure that one out really easily."

"Nope, I've got no idea what it meant."

"Hmm…I'm not sure if I want to tell you now." Jarod laughed.

"Tell me," Ms. Parker said.

"Nope."

"Come on, tell me."

"No."

"Jarod!"

"Non, Mademoiselle Parker, Je refuse de le dit."

"That's so unfair Wonder Boy," she said as she swatted him with a pillow. "For all I know, you just said that you refuse to eat soap!"

"No, I believe I said that I won't tell, but my French isn't perfect either." Jarod laughed.

"Tell me"

"No!"

"Come on, tell me." She tackled him on the bed. 

Jarod just stared up at her for a while, smiling at her playfullness. This was exactly where he wanted to be. "Fine, I'll tell you. Do you remember what my note said?"

"It said that you were close and that even if I chased you, you might not run."

"Okay, well what color was the box?"

"You're just toying with me aren't you, Wonder Boy," Ms. Parker said hotly.

"No, I'm completely serious."

"Alright, I'll bite, the box was gold." 

"All that glitters isn't gold."

"What?"

"All that glitters isn't gold, that was my message." Jarod smiled proudly.

"Okay, you're going to have to explain this one to me."

"The box was empty, but you were expecting to find a clue from me, it's emptiness showed that despite the fact that it glittered it wasn't the gold of a clue. It also meant that the chase you've been on wasn't what it seemed to be. It was actually very simple."Jarod chuckled.

"Yah, sure, I don't think even Dr. Freud would have figured that one out. In fact, he's probably still working on it." Ms. Parker laughed at the thought.

"Probably." Jarod smiled up at her. He was about to pull her down to him for a good morning kiss, when she sat back up.

"Not so fast, Wonder Boy, first things first, what clue are we going to send Dr. Spock and the Computer nerd? And don't make it as hard as that empty box."

Jarod sighed, "Fine." Then he laughed again. He sat up. "Well, what says Anna Parker the easiest?"

"A piece of paper that says Anna Parker," Ms. Parker said flatly.

"What fun is that? I thought you wanted to give Broots and Sydney the run around," Jarod remarked.

"True…fine, what do you have in mind?" Ms. Parker said.

"How about if we send them a set of 10 words, each containing one letter from the name Anna Parker, and wait for them to find all of the combinations of letters?"

"Sounds long and complicated…I like it." Ms. Parker laughed.

"Good, do I get my kiss now?" 

"Well, I don't know, Wonder Boy, that depends on…"

She was cut off as Jarod pulled her over to him and kissed her.


	14. Project Emptiness

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it.Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 14

Project Emptiness

Broots Desk at the Centre

Broots silently mumbled to himself as he typed in key codes trying to figure out if Jarod's mysterious empty box had anything to do with the Centre's past. He wished he was at home, Debbie had come down with a fever and needed to stay home from school. He was worried about her and, unfortunately, he had to be at the Centre because Raines had been extremely strict about people showing up to work. Besides, Ms. Parker's suddenly deciding to take a vacation had left the search for Jarod in his and Sydney's hands. 

It struck him as odd that Ms. Parker would take off on a vacation out of the blue. So, like any employee at the Centre who noticed someone was mysteriously absent, he worried when she didn't show up. It was very unlike Ms. Parker to skip going to work. She was extremely dedicated to the search for Jarod and never took much time away from the Centre. He feared the worst, that something horrible had happened to Ms. Parker and the Centre was trying to cover it up. As a result, he was even more jittery than usual and when Sydney approached him from behind without making a noise, he practically jumped out of his skin.

"Oh! Syd…God, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"What's the matter Broots?"

"Well, don't you think it's a little odd that Ms. Parker, queen of working overtime, suddenly took a week's vacation?"

"She was tired, Broots, she hasn't been sleeping well."

Broots wasn't convinced. "Still, when people," he gulped, "take vacations from the Centre, they usually don't come back."

"Broots, everything is going to be fine; Ms. Parker is a very smart woman. You know she wouldn't let anybody hurt her." Broots just stared at Sydney, not as assured as the older man. Sydney tried to change the subject. "So, how is the search for the meaning of the empty box coming up?"

"Well, so far, I've found out that there was a project called Emptiness in which children were locked up in rooms for two years without human contact and shown films on wars and brutal attacks…Later, they were studied to see if they showed suicidal or aggressive tendencies when released."

"How terrible, when was this project in effect?"

"The late 1950s…the file says that…" Broots leaned in toward Sydney to avoid being overheard. "…it was one of Raines first assignments."

Sydney stroked his chin, as he sometimes did when he was deep in thought. "I wonder what relevence it had to Jarod."

"Well, I uncovered another file after about two hours of run around passwording through about twenty backdoors into a very restricted section of the Centre's history, according to what I read, Project Emptiness was the prelude to the pretender program. That's when the Centre first uncovered the talents of a pretender."  
"How?"

"Apparently, one of the children in project emptiness, Tyrone Black, was released after the two year period and as they were studying the effects of the seclusion, they found that he had developed the ability to predict the outcome of certain situations and what had gone wrong, causing certain ones to fail. Supposedly, they had been trying to find out if, when presented with a murder situation, they would become as full of anger and hate as the killer…Syd, they were trying to breed hit men."

"I still don't understand why Jarod felt this particular piece of information was something we needed to find. I don't remember anything about Project Emptiness."

There was a long pause. "Syd…that's because you weren't the psychiatrist for the project…Jacob was."

"Jacob!?" Sydney said in awe.

They were interrupted as a window opened up on Broots computer screen, signaling that he had an e-mail. Broots quickly opened the e-mail. A list of ten words popped up on the screen:

Vengeful

Man

Helped

Nurture

Parker's

Have

Couldn't

Benefit

Torment

And

"It must be some sort of word puzzle. Who sent it Broots?"Sydney said, after leaning in to read the screen.

Broots quickly tried to trace the message. "It doesn't have a source. How's that possible? It must be from Jarod, if anyone…besides me…can figure out how to send a message without any remnants of a source, it's Jarod. I can probably pull the source up, but it's going to take a long time. Why would he send another clue before we finished with the first one?"

"I'm sure he's got a reason, this one must take precedence over the other one."

"Well, what should I try to do with it?"

"Broots, what do we usually do with a clue?"

"T-try to figure it out. I end up hacking into someplace restricted, Raines starts snooping, and Ms. Parker yells and drinks a lot."

Sydney laughed at Broots' nervous rambling. "Broots, you don't need Ms. Parker to tell you what to do. Just start running it through the computer. If nothing comes up, we'll get help from Angelo."

"Y-yes, alright."

"Broots, I'm sure Ms. Parker is fine, don't worry so much."

"Syd, worrying is what I do, that's my primary job, you think, Ms. Parker directs, and I ramble about everything that worries me that could go wrong."

Sydney just smiled, then his smile faded, he remembered what Broots had found out about Project Emptiness. "Broots, when you get a chance, try to find out more about my brother's involvement with Project Emptiness."

Broots nodded, still facing his computer, not wanting to meet the troubled look on Sydney's face.


	15. Tyrone Black

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. No offence to ex-president Reagan. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 15

Tyrone Black

The dining room of the Claudette Hotel, Harfleur, France

Jarod and Ms. Parker were sitting at a small, round table in a secluded corner of the hotel dining room enjoying their breakfast, though it was really lunchtime. Jarod was skimming through the newspaper as Ms. Parker ate a buttery croissant when Jarod started coughing because he had choked on something in the surprise of reading a certain piece of information in the newspaper.

Ms. Parker looked concerned as Jarod put the paper down. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Jarod cleared his throat. "Someone tried to break into the museum yesterday and steal the scrolls."

"Was it someone from the Centre?"

"They say the man they caught won't tell them where he came from or who he's working for."

"Sounds like a Centre rat to me. Do they know his name?"

Jarod read some more and a look of shock came to his face. "Tyrone Black."

"That name doesn't sound familiar to me. Do you think it's an alias?" She said as she looked down at another croissant, considering whether or not to eat it, not noticing the expression on Jarod's face.

"Tyrone Black was a pretender for the Centre."

"What?" Ms. Parker looked up abruptly.

"Tyrone Black was the first pretender that the Centre uncovered."

Wh…How…Why haven't I heard of him before?"

"You remember the empty box?"

"Jarod, I hardly think that now is a time for you to gloat about your clue again."

"No, the box had a different point for Sydney and Broots, I've been having them uncover information about a project from the Centre's past."

"What project?"

"Project Emptiness," Jarod said before quickly explaining what the program had been.

"So, the next time around, Reagan actually dies," Ms. Parker said when he finished explaining Project Emptiness and it's trained assassins.

"Did the Centre do Reagan?"

"No…at least I don't think so, but what the hell do I know about the Centre. All the Centre's ever given me is lies. Jarod, how come you didn't tell me before? You always tell me what you've uncovered about the Centre's past."

Jarod frowned at the hurt expression on her face. "Parker, I didn't mean to…Project Emptiness has hurt a lot of people and I needed for you to trust me before I could explain everything about it…there's a possibility that Kyle was involved in it."

"Kyle?"

"Well, you know he was trained to kill your mother."

Ms. Parker shifted uncomfortably. "Yes."

Jarod watched her closely. Then asked the question he'd wanted to ask her since they were children. "Parker,…do you trust me?"

"Jarod, I've always trusted you. You're the only one who never lies to me. You should have told me…promise me you won't hide anything else because if you lie to me, then everyone in my life lies."

"I promise."

Ms. Parker smiled and then put her usual cold expression on. "Good, I hate theses mushy gooshy moments. I was just about ready for an air sickness bag."

Jarod looked concerned. "Are you not feeling well?"

Ms. Parker's coldness melted away and she laughed. "It was a joke Jarod…gosh, sometimes I forget how much of the world you haven't experienced."

"So, you're alright?"

"Yes. Needing an air sickness bag just means that the thought of some things doesn't make you feel very pleasant."

"Okay. I'll try to remember that."

"So, what are we going to do about Tyrone Black? Do you think the Centre knows he's here?"

"If they don't, they'll find out soon. We'll have to move fast."

****

Twenty minutes later

Jarod and Ms. Parker walked out a back door of the hotel dressed in French police officer uniforms.

Author's Note: Dunh Dunh Dunh. We're finally getting to the point of this fan fic, the truth behind how the pretender program got started…and the mystery of the scrolls. Keep Reading Please! Read and Review!


	16. Speaking with the Past

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 16

Speaking with the Past

The Centre, Sydney's Office

"Jacob," Sydney thought to himself. "How is it possible that you would involve yourself in a project like Emptiness? Did you know what was being done? You couldn't have, you were the one trying to tell me what was really being done in the Pretender Program."

A black and white figure from the past was suddenly sitting on the couch in his office. As it sometimes happened, Sydney's imagination was allowing him to speak with his brother.

"Sydney, Project Emptiness, it's not something I am proud of."

"But, Jacob, how did you get involved in it in the first place?"

"Raines was relatively new at the Centre, but I had just started working there, he was looking for help on a new project and I figured it would be good to fraternize with other psychiatrists working at the Centre. I believed we were training the children to become spies, not assassins. The problem was, I was only involved after the children were released from the two-year seclusion. I didn't know what had happened before that time. Catherine Parker told me the truth when she found out…that's the same time I found out the truth about the Pretender Program as well. I couldn't tell you because it would put you at risk. Catherine made me promise never to tell you."

"Is it true that Project Emptiness was the precursor to the Pretender Program?"

"Yes…I was the one who noticed the ability in Tyrone Black. I had been doing a sort of SIM with him involving the assassination of a Russian diplomat. We were watching a film on what had happened when he started to point out exactly what had gone wrong. He figured out why the assassin had been caught. Of course, the Centre had been taping the session. They realized that if their assassins knew exactly what could go wrong and how to avoid it, they would become indestructible. Tyrone was taken from my care and put directly under Raines' authority."

There was a long time span of silence as Sydney absorbed all of what he had just heard. "How come Catherine went to you and not me?"

"Sydney…don't you know? She loved you. She was worried about what would happen if her husband realized that you were not just her doctor but her lover and confidante. She already had suspicions that he knew…she couldn't risk telling you any more than you already knew."

"Jacob, it's my fault she was murdered. I'm the one who trained her Inner Sense."

"Sydney, she wanted to help those children. It was her choice, just like it was mine."

"She would never have found out the truth about the Centre if I hadn't helped her."

"Sydney, aren't you happier knowing the truth?"

"But I still don't know all of the truth."

"You will find out soon enough. Catherine says it's almost time."

"You've spoken with Catherine?"

"All of the time, Sydney, who do you think has been looking out for you all of these years?"

Just then, Broots came bursting into Sydney's office. 

"Soon, Sydney, soon." Jacob's voice echoed.

Sydney looked quickly to the door and when he looked back at the couch, the image of Jacob was gone.

"Syd what are you doing?" Broots asked nervously.

"Just speaking with the past, Broots."

Broots eyed Sydney skeptically, then remembered why he had come bursting in. "Syd, look what I've found. I've been running the ten words through various patterns. After about an hour, I realized they were meant to line up alphabetically. Look."

Broots handed Sydney a sheet of paper that said:

And

Benefit

Couldn't

Have

Helped

Man

Nurture

Parker's

Vengeful

Torment

"Interesting…do you suppose it's some sort of poem?"

"I don't know. It doesn't give me much to work on though. I've used the keywords vengeful and torment to run a search through the Centre's databases but I didn't come up with anything."

"No, I didn't think you would find something…that would be too simple. Jarod's trying to tell us something in the fact that they are arranged alphabetically." Sydney stopped a moment and looked rather pensive. "There was a game Jarod liked to play when he was younger. He would hide a word within a string of other words and see how long it took me to find the word he had hidden. I suppose it was his way of testing if I was a worthy adversary of the information he was going to give me. You might try running combinations of letters from the words in their alphabetical order."

****

Broots Desk, The Computer Tech Floor, The Centre

Sydney walked up behind Broots, who was typing furiously at his computer. "Broots, what have you found?"

"Sydney, there are 29,042,496 different combinations of letters. This is going to take a while."

"Well, isn't there some way that you can narrow it down?"

"Syd, that's kind of hard. I don't really have anything to go on."

Sydney stood for a moment watching the computer screen closely, hoping to catch a familiar word or phrase. "Broots wait!" He said, recognizing something on the screen. "Look, the word Parker."

"Do you think this has something to do with Ms. Parker?"

"I don't know Broots. How many combinations of letters are there from the first four words if you keep Parker as the last six letters?"

Broots quickly did some calculations. "504, if you don't count the combinations that occur twice."

"Okay, what are they?"

Ten minutes later, Broots had compiled a list of all the combinations of letters from the words And, Benefit, Couldn't, and Have. He printed it out and quickly read over it, highlighting any word or name that made sense.

"What did you find Broots?"

"The words Anna, Anne, Nice, Nile, Nina, Nine, Deca, De De, Dice, Dina, and Dine."

"Try scanning those, along with the name Parker, into the computer and see what you come up with."

"Nice Parker," Broots said, cocking his head to the side. "She'd hate that. It sounds like a dog command."

"Broots!" Sydney said anxiously.

"Right." Broots fingers flew wildly on the keyboard as he checked every Centre database he could get into. Suddenly, a file came up on the computer screen. "Syd look." He called the older man's attention to the screen. "There are records on an Anna Parker and a Nina Parker."

"Who are Anna and Nina Parker?"

Broots was just about to download the file to his hard drive when he heard a familiar squeaky wheel, accompanied by uneven breathing, behind him.

"Raines," Sydney said flatly.

Want more? Find out what Jarod and Ms. Parker are doing dressed as police officers and what Raines has to tell Broots and Sydney. Thanks to Kattran and Leanne, and for reading my first eight chapters! Please Review! 


	17. All Secrets, No Answers

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any ofits affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. Myknowledge of the French language is limited and not perfect, don't expect my phrases to becorrect. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do notknow anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don'texpect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there areany. The names Jarod Compignon, Violette Parker and Lietenant Bonfield are ficticious…sorry ifit happens to be your name. My apologies to the Pez corporation.That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, butyou can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker'spoint of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 17

****

All Secrets, No Answers

Outside the French Police Department in La Havre, France

Jarod and Ms. Parker were standing in an alley across the street from the police station, discussing what their plan was. They were trying to infiltrate the police department so that they could ask Tyrone Black questions about the scrolls and what he did for the Centre.

"Jarod, I don't know enough French, this isn't going to work."

"Parker, you'll do fine. I've done this hundreds of times before without getting caught."

"But Jarod, that's because you're a pretender, I've never done a pretend before."

"Are you scared, Parker?" Jarod half smiled to himself, knowing she would despise his remark.

Ms. Parker shot him a wicked look, "I'm not afraid of anything, Pez head, I just don't feel like being arrested for fraud in the middle of Gay Paree."

"Ms. Parker, we're not in Paris, we're in Le Havre."

"Do you always have to be so technical? Can't you just let it slip by that I have no idea what I'm talking about?"

"Well now, what fun would that be?"

"Oy, are you going to be like this during this entire endeavor?"

"I don't know," Jarod chuckled, "Are you going to be so touchy about it?"

"Shut up Chuckle Head," Ms. Parker tried to look annoyed but just ended up smiling. "Where'd you get these uniforms anyway?"

"I snatched them from the precinct the last time I was here."

"Oh, so you steal things now? How immoraly not you."

"I only steal when necessary. Are you ready or not?"

Ms. Parker sighed, "As ready as I'll ever be to face the guillotine."

"They don't use the guillotine anymore."

"Can, you just try to let my little jokes slip by? It's kind of hard to give up snide remarks when they're all you've used for the last million years."

"Parker, I know we're older than we were, but we're definitely not anywhere near being a million years old."

"This was one of the times you were supposed to let it go."

"Oh. Can we work out some sort of signal?"

Ms. Parker just laughed, "Come on let's go before I change my mind."

Ms. Parker and Jarod walked into the precinct. Ms. Parker attempted to look confidant. When she was at the Centre she could send chills down peoples spines because of the way she walked. She tried the same walk here, acting like she owned the room and everyone in it. They approached the front desk and Jarod informed the guard that they were officers sent from the district precinct in Paris. The guard inquired after their names and Jarod gave him their aliases. He was Jarod Compignon and she was Violette Parker. Violette was a pretty name, that's why she had decided to use it as her pseudonym. They had thought it was best that she stick with the last name Parker, so they wouldn't forget their covers; she'd still be Ms. Parker and he'd still be Jarod. The guard cleared them. Apparently, Jarod had hacked his way into their system and inserted the necessary information for their cover story. Originally, the cop cover was just supposed to allow them to enter the museum. Now, it would help them speak with Tyrone Black as well. They walked down a corridor and got in an elevator. They arrived at the offices on the 4th floor, or quatrième etage, as the elevator said on its panel, and were met by a Lieutenant Bonfield.

"Bonjour Monsieur Jarod, Mademoiselle Parker. Suivre moi." Lt. Bonfield said, signaling for them to follow him.

"It's a good thing he's using the worldwide language of hand gestures or I would be lost," Ms. Parker thought to herself, "I really should start studying French again." She laughed to herself, "When would I have the time? With Raines on a bloodhunt, I've got to be at the Centre practically twenty four hours a day. Unless Jarod's right and we really can change everything…Don't get your hopes up Parker, even Lab Rat isn't Superman."

She must have been making a funny face because Lt. Bonfield stopped for a moment. "Est-ce que tout vas bien, Mademoiselle Parker?" he asked if she was alright.

Ms. Parker racked her brain quickly, "Euh…Oui, pas mal." She told him she was okay.

"D'accord," he said, satisfied with her answer. They walked a bit more, turned a corner and arrived at a questioning room. "Voila! Monsieur Black es à l'intérieur," Lt. Bonfield said, informing them that Tyrone Black was inside of the questioning room waiting for them.

"Merci," Jarod answered, as Lt. Bonfield walked away.

Ms. Parker mumbled, "Merci," after him.

Jarod held the door open and Ms. Parker walked in, followed closely by Jarod. At first, Tyrone did not lift his head from the table it was resting on, then he looked up, awestruck.

"You look just like your mother," He said, then thought that she probably spoke French. "Euh…Vous ressembler…"

Ms. Parker cut him off before he could finish, "Cut the French crap. What do you know about my mother?" she said harshly. She continued quickly, before he could answer, "Do you work for the Centre? Why are you looking for the scrolls? Did that bastard, Raines, send you?"

"Parker, calm down," Jarod pulled her back because she had moved right into Tyrone's face. "Tyrone…answer her questions."

Ms. Parker smiled at the fact that Jarod was backing her questions.

"You must be Ms. Parker. And no, Raines didn't send me…I work directly for the Triumverate."

"If that's true, why the hell would you tell me?" Ms. Parker asked suspiciously.

Tyrone chuckled, "I'm sure a sweeper team is on their way here right now, what difference does it make? At least you'll get some answers."

Ms. Parker narrowed her eyes at him, "If you're a pretender, you could probably get yourself out of here right now. Wonder boy over here has gotten out of plenty more difficult situations.

"Ah, you must be Jarod," Tyrone said, turning toward Jarod, "Catherine told me about you."

"Okay, you two lab rats can bond later…now, what do you know about my mother?"

"I was one of the first ones that she helped to escape from the Centre."

"If she helped you escape, why on earth are you working for the Triumverate?Is the real world not good enough for your ungreatful ass," she asked, clearly upset that her mother would risk her life for someone who just ended up back in the Centre, but worse, the Triumverate.

"I got caught…I was young when I escaped, but old enough to not end up in foster care… still, I was too cocky."

"Is it true that you were the first pretender uncovered by the Centre?"

"Yes, I was a part of Project…"  
Ms. Parker cut him off again, "…Emptiness. Yes, we know. Why are you looking for the scrolls?"

"Why do you think? A treasured prophecy that holds all of the truths about the Centre's past and future…that's invaluable to the Triumverate. If they don't get it first, someone else has all of the power…." Tyrone paused.

"The first one to the answers wins," Ms. Parker finished for him. Tyrone nodded.

In the background, a loud vibrating noise slowly got louder. A helicopter was lowering itself to the height of the window on the back wall of the questioning room. Jarod quickly grabbed Ms. Parker and threw himself and her to the ground. Tyrone didn't move fast enough and the bullets that came cascading through the glass punctured his body. The helicopter looped away and Ms. Parker slowly raised her head to see yet another source of answers plugged up by the Centre's bullets. She must have looked shocked because Jarod pulled her even closer to himself and tried to turn her head away from the body. She turned her face up to his and said sorrowfully, "Yet again, all secrets, no answers."

Author's Note: It's pronounced Cahmpeenyawn. I love it when Parker starts throwing poisonous barbs at people. I hope you loved it to. Reviews Reviews Reviews, please send me those Reviews!


	18. All I've Got

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any ofits affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. Myknowledge of the French language is limited and not perfect, don't expect my phrases to becorrect. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do notknow anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don'texpect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there areany. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, butyou can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker'spoint of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 18

****

All I've Got

Jarod had a hard time explaining to the French police department why their newest suspect had been gunned down during the day through a window in the middle of their department. Ms. Parker was too stunned to help him clear up what had happened, but kept enough composure so as to look more strong and unaffected than shocked. Jarod could tell that inside, she was breaking up. Sure, Ms. Parker often threatened violence, but she never actually killed someone…and she never often witnessed when the Centre killed someone. Ms. Parker could feel his worry, but she remained numb while he told what happened. When they finally left the department, she was feeling weak. She must have looked it because Jarod offered her a supporting arm.

"Parker…are you alright?" Jarod said, his voice full of concern.

"Well Jarod, I just saw the Triumverate turn a man into a piece of swiss cheese so…I'm not feeling my best." She had tried to sound sarcastic and hard as stone, but Jarod could feel her tremble at the memory of what had happened. "Damn it Jarod, why do they do this?"

Jarod had no answers so he just held her arm tightly, showing her that he would support her no matter what and yet, allowing her to work through her thoughts about what had happened. His cell phone began to ring. Answering it, his mouth turned into an even harder grim line than it had been before. "Okay, thanks John. We'll be there shortly." Jarod hung up.

"Jarod, who's John?"

"I know now isn't the best time…cosidering what's just happened but…your father's body has been found."

"My father?" Ms. Parker said, sounding faint. She felt as though she desperately needed to sit down somewhere. Seeing nowhere nearby to do so, she walked over to a wall and slank down to the ground.

Jarod wasn't sure what to do. Parker never acted this way. She was always the stone woman, the solid rock, the grizzly bear…okay, maybe not a grizzly bear, but she was definitely ferocious at times. Now, she just looked like a very sad lost doll. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were clasped tight around them. She was rocking, very softly, back and forth…back…and forth.

"Jarod, promise me we're going to put an end to the Centre. Promise me right now. I want it stopped, I want it stopped now." Ms. Parker said angrily.

He walked over and slid down the wall next to her. He pulled her over toward him so that her head rested on his shoulder. Then, he unclasped her hands and held them in his.

"Parker, I promise we'll do what we can. You know, it takes time to get over a loss."

"Save it Jarod," she said bitterly, "Nothing can make up for what the Centre's cost me over the years. All that they've taken away from me and you. My father wasn't even my father, my mother was murdered, my sister died, I've got Lyle, the ultimate jerk, for a brother, Tommy was murdered, I've got nothing to lose. Absolutely nothing."

"Yes you do…you could lose yourself or…you could lose me."

For the second time that day, she turned her face up towards Jarod and spoke sorrowfully, "All secrets, no answers…that's what I've got."

Jarod was a little upset at her lack of faith in his being something she could lose, but he tried to ignore it…she was wiped. He decided they should save the visit to John for the next day. The sun was already starting to set…Ms. Parker needed sleep. He stood up, pulling her up with him and walked out toward the street to hail a cab. When they got back to the hotel, Ms. Parker looked very pale. She had been silent through the entire ride from Le Havre to Harfleur. Jarod had begun to worry that she might be getting sick, but he hadn't wanted to ask her how she was feeling, afraid that she'd yell viciously at him for thinking she was weak. Instead, he had laced his fingers through hers and just sat silently with her. Once they were up in their hotel room, Ms. Parker went directly to the bed, not bothering to retrieve a night shirt from her luggage. The silence was starting to kill Jarod, but he knew better than to interupt her. He got ready for bed, trying to avoid glancing at her every two seconds. When he emerged from the bathroom, after brushing his teeth, he began to walk to the couch when he heard Ms. Parker say shakily, "Jarod…you know how my Inner Sense sounds like my mother…well, I always trust her and she keeps telling me two things. One is that my father is not what he seemed and two is that…" she stopped. Jarod waited for her to continue but she never did. He figured she must have fallen asleep. He climbed onto the couch and fell asleep watching Ms. Parker. In actuality, Ms. Parker had not fallen asleep, she just wasn't ready to tell Jarod what the second thing was…she wasn't really ready to tell herself even. After she heard Jarod's breathing grow steady and shallow, she climbed out of the bed and walked over to the couch. She hadn't wanted to ask before, lest she should seem even more weak than she already did, but she desperately wanted Jarod's strong arms wrapped around her that night. She squished herself in next to him. He must have woken because he put his arms protectively around her and pulled her as close as possible to himself.

"I've got you to lose, Jarod," She whispered softly.

"Never," He said back.

Author's Note: Would it be completely unlike Ms. Parker to be this affected by what happened? I'm really trying to be true to character but sometimes it comes out sounding so…melodramatic. Is it supposed to be that way? As always, send a review! It makes my day better!


	19. Setting the Bait

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any ofits affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, butyou can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker'spoint of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 19

****

Setting the Bait

Broots' Desk, The Computer Tech Floor, The Centre

"How's the search for Jarod going," Raines hissed.

"F-Fine, M-Mr. Raines," Broots stuttered.

"Hmmm, any new developments on that empty box?"

"N-No sir."

"We've been searching all day. Do you have any ideas what it might mean?" Sydney tried to bait Raines.

"No," Raines said bluntly, "It's your job to understand why Jarod does what he does."

"You know, some day, Jarod may decide to stop sending the Centre clues and dissappear," Sydney said.

"Not likely," Raines smiled wickedly, "Not until he finds out more about his family. His family is his soft spot. That was always his tragic flaw, Sydney, he had a conscience."

"Unlike Kyle and Alex," Sydney replied calmly, "It seems to me that Jarod's conscience is what's kept him from dying."

"Kyle and Alex did what they were trained to do, that's more than I can say for Jarod."

"If Jarod is such a problem, why are we still looking for him?"

Raines narrowed his eyes at Sydney, "Jarod belongs at the Centre. He belongs to us, in more ways than one. Just keep working on finding him or maybe _you_ won't belong with us any longer. Mr. Parker may have believed that you shared some special link with Jarod that would help you to find him, but I'm starting to believe that your loyalty is not with the Centre but with Jarod. Be careful Sydney…be very careful." Raines rolled his oxygen tank away as he stalked out of the room.

When he was gone, Broots turned to face Sydney, "God, he scares me to death. What did he mean 'Jarod belongs to us in more ways than one?'"

"I'm not sure Broots, but I never did understand the way Raines mind worked," he leaned in toward Broots to keep from being heard by whatever bugs were placed throughout the rooms, "I think you should start looping the feed on the security cameras to avoid being caught looking for information on our newest search."

"Y-Yes, of course."

"Don't look for anything else today, we'll use today's feed for the next week or so. Act like you are looking for information on…hmm…what will work…I know, look up everybody you can find on the internet with the first name Jarod."

"Syd, that could take days."

"Exactly."

"Oh, I get it. Great idea Syd."

****

Raines' Office

Raines sat in his office brooding over Sydney's earlier comments. He hated when Sydney was right. There was definitely a possibility that Jarod would dissappear forever, especially if something happened to Sydney. So, all he could do was threaten Sydney because he needed Jarod brought back. Perhaps it was time to leak some more information to Jarod. He was, after all, the one to send the picture to Jarod of his and Ms. Parker's mother standing together. That was always the way to Jarod, give him a piece of history about his family and he'd show up looking for more. What would he send this time? A thought came to him and he smiled wickedly. He would send the picture of Jarod, Kyle, Alex, Angelo, and Tyrone standing in front of Mr. Parker and Catherine when everyone but Tyrone had first arrived at the Centre. He enjoyed his devilish streak so very much. He e-mailed the picture to Jarod and leaned back in his chair. Jarod was going to be back, and soon. Now all he had to do was wait for Ms. Parker to return from her vacation and he could set his entire plan in motion.

****

Lyle's Office

Lyle had been watching Raines via a bug planted in Raines' office. He watched as Raines e-mailed the picture to Jarod. He wondered how it was possible for Raines to direct an e-mail to Jarod without knowing his location…it was highly suspicious. But then, everything Raines did was highly suspicious. Raines knew more than he was telling and Lyle was going to make sure he was the first one to find out what it was.

Author's Note: Is Raines good or bad? Is Lyle good or bad? I've got plenty of ideas, what are yours? Send Reviews!!! Please! And thanks to everyone who's already sent reviews!


	20. Keeping Pace,Or Not

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any ofits affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. Myknowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using itsname. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do notknow anything about Harfleur, Le Havre, Honfleur, or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there,don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, ifthere are any, and any morgues in Honfleur. I don't know much about Medical Examiners so, Iapologize if I say something false. I don't know anything about pretty much anything medical,sorry. I don't have the rights to Cracker Jack or The Addams Family (Cousin It). I also don't ownMoby Dick and am most definitely not a fan of Melville's work…though he probably wasn't abad person. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, butyou can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker'spoint of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 20

****

Keeping Pace…Or not

The next day, Jarod and Ms. Parker set off to meet John. Ms. Parker was slightly apprehensive at the idea of seeing the dead body of the man she had called her father for over thirty years of her life. She wasn't sure how it would affect her and she did not want to repeat her breakdown of the previous day. Seeming frail was not something that she enjoyed…even if it did mean she got to have Jarod's arms around her…she did have her standards after all. Reluctantly, she had agreed to go with Jarod to visit John. She tried to prepare herself for whatever newest secret from the Centre they would find this time. Perhaps that Mr. Parker was not in fact her uncle, but even some completely unrelated stranger…or maybe that he was her grandfather. Who knew what was possible with the Centre. Apparently, John was a medical examiner who Jarod had helped in the past. John had been running searches through every morgue in France that came up with an unidentified body. He would look to match up information about Mr. Parker with the information of the John Doe. Finally, one of the John Does had matched up. That's why he had called Jarod the previous day. So, Ms. Parker and Jarod had set off to meet John at a morgue in Honfleur. Honfleur was a very short distance from Harfleur, they both border the Bay of the Seine. They arrived shortly after they had left the Claudette Hotel and were met outside by John.

"Bonjour Jarod, Mademoiselle Parker, follow," John said, "Morgue this way."

They proceeded into the building and through a very white, sterile hallway to a door near the back of the building. John pushed the door open and they followed closely behind him. 

"Mr. Parker here," John said.

Ms. Parker glanced around and noticed how dark and damp the room was. A chill went down her spine. "How dreadfuly reminiscent of the freak show that is the Centre," she whispered.

John slid out the tray that Mr. Parker was layed out on. Ms. Parker turned an even paler shade than she usually was. The body was very darkly colored and looked as though it had been a snack to several large fish. "Do they know how it happened?"

"Drowned," John said.

Jarod watched Ms. Parker closely, then turned to John. "Is the equipment ready?"

"Jarod, what equipment? What are you going to do?"

"Find out the truth."

"My father's finally going to tell the truth, what a novelty," Ms. Parker half smiled then returned to her very blank look.

John rolled a highly complicated looking machine over to the tray. "This scan. See what's inside, outside."

Ms. Parker stepped a little closer to examine the machine. She found John kind of creepy, though he sort of reminded her of Angelo.

John ran the machine over the body and it scanned a complete X-ray and 3 dimensional, internal model into the computer.

Jarod watched the screen closely. "Odd."

"What?" Ms. Parker said, dreading the response. Odd and the Centre never meant anything good.

"Your father had a pacemaker."

"What? Daddy's heart was fine," she said as she walked up to the computer to get a better look.

"Exactly. It doesn't make sense why he'd have a pacemaker."

"Jarod, the Centre hasn't made sense since…actually, never."

Jarod nodded, "We're going to have to take it out and examine it."

"Are you sure that it's my father?"

"John checked fingerprints…it's really your father."

"Okay, but I can't watch. I'll go wait in the hall." She turned to walk out but Jarod caught up in one long stride.

"Are you okay?"

"Well, I was hoping my father would just become food for Moby Dick like any normal person who jumps out of an airplane into the ocean. But no, My father has to drown in an ocean in France and wash up on the shoreline," Ms. Parker said spitefully.

Jarod put his hand on the side of her face and turned her head towards his own, until their eyes met. "It'll be okay, Parker. The truth will set you free."

Ms. Parker stared back at him, then gently removed his hand from her face. "I know, it just pisses me off." She gave him a wry smile and walked out into the hallway.

Twenty minutes later, Jarod and John had removed the pacemaker. Jarod called for Ms. Parker to come back in and all three of them examined the small object.

"I still don't understand, his heart was fine. It had to be for all of those times he ran away from the Centre."

Jarod tried to supress a smile at Ms. Parker's usual dry humor. "Maybe it's just something made to look like a pacemaker. We'll have to open it and look inside."

John went and got a set of very small pointy tools. "Tools, open." He said, bringing the tools over to Jarod.

Jarod selected a long one with a flatish point at the end and popped the pacemaker open. Inside was a disc about the size of bottle cap.

"Jarod, what is it?"

"It looks like a very small computer disc."

"How can that be a computer disc? It's the size of the buttons on my suit."

"The Centre always was the cutting edge of technology."

"How do we find out what's on it?"

"I don't have the equipment necessary to read this kind of disc…but I know who does.

"Who?"

"The Centre of course."

"How are we going to get it from the Centre?"

"We're not."

"What!? Now that you've found it, I have to know what's on it. Now is not the time to worry about a homecoming Wonder Boy," Ms. Parker said angrily.

"You promised me a week without the Centre."

Ms. Parker sighed in frustration, "Well, what do you propose we do?

"Send it to Angelo. He can copy whatever's on it onto a larger disc for us to read."

"And how do we get it to Cousin It?"

"A box of Cracker Jack."

"Cracker Jack?" Ms. Parker didn't understand.

"CJ."

"Now I'm even more confused, who's CJ?"

"Angelo's name when he wants to tell me something without the Centre knowing it's him."

"So, we put the disc in a box of Cracker Jack and mail it off to Cousin- to CJ?"

"Exactly."

"How will he know what it is?"

"I'll send him an e-mail."

They both stood there for a moment.

"Well, Wonder Boy, what are you waiting for?" Ms. Parker said testily.

"Hmm… a kiss?" Jarod hinted.

Ms. Parker leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. She gave a devilish smile, "I never give rewards until the job's done."

Jarod chuckled and thanked John for his help. They left to hunt down a store which sold Cracker Jack.

Author's Note: Do they sell Cracker Jack in France? Someone tell me. Plus, is it too unrealistic that Mr. Parker has been hiding information inside of himself? I hope it wasn't too farfetched. Please Review!!!


	21. Oceana, Or Is it Ocee?

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of                       its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. That's it. Read it now! 

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but                         you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's                            point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting 

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 21 

**Oceana…or is it Ocee?**

Broots Desk, The Computer Tech Floor, The Centre 

Broots had immediately looped the surveilence feed from the previous day when he arrived at the Centre. He had gone to great care to make sure that the first and last images matched up exactly so that security wouldn't know the feed was looped. He and Syd started anxiously in on the information about Anna and Nina Parker as soon as he was done.

Sydney was skimming over an old medical record for Nina Parker, when he noticed something that struck him as very odd. "Broots look at this, Nina Parker's mother was a woman named Anna Oceana Parker."

"Who would give their daughter the name Oceana?"

"No, Broots, I remember Ms. Parker speaking of a woman named Ocee that she met out on the Island of Carthis," Sydney ignored Broots remark.

"And you think it's the same woman?"

"It's a possibilty. What does the file on Anna Parker say?"

Broots quickly looked through a pile on his desk for the medical files on Anna Parker that he had printed out. He handed them to Syd, who quickly leafed through them."

"Interesting…Anna Parker was blind."

"I hate to sound obnoxious but, why is that important?"

"I specifically remember Ms. Parker telling me that this woman, Ocee, was blind but had an incredible sense of what happened in the past and would happen in the future."

"D-do you think she had the Inner Sense?"

"I don't know, Broots. Let's keep looking through the files on the computer, maybe there is something else there that we've missed."

Ten minutes of Broots fingers flying rapidly across the keyboard yielded another set of information. "Uh oh."

"What's wrong, Broots?"

"Look at this, there were orders made to kill both Anna and Nina back in the 60s."

"Does it say if the orders were carried out?"

"Nina was…" Broots gulped, "taken care of but Anna managed to escape and wasn't ever found."

"The poor women, her daughter was murdered."

"Syd, what does all of this mean?"

"I'm not sure but we'll have to find everything we possibly can on Anna and Nina Parker."

"Why do you think she fled to the Island of Carthis? Just from the sound of it I can tell it would give me the heebyjeebies."

"Do you suppose she went to find the scrolls?"

"Why would she stay on the Island then? She could have found the scrolls easily if she's got the Inner Sense."

Sydney stroked his chin. Broots was right, it didn't make sense, "Perhaps she wasn't trying to find them but rather trying to keep them from being found."

"Why did she help Jarod and Ms. Parker find them then?"

"The Inner Sense, Broots, she knew that Jarod and Ms. Parker were the ones who were meant to find them."

"Okay, but how exactly is this Anna, I mean Ocee, related to the Parkers?"

"I don't know, Broots. I don't know."

Broots and Sydney spent the rest of the day looking through anything they could get their hands on, or rather, anywhere that Broots could hack into, trying to unlock everything that this newest clue from Jarod could mean about Anna Parker.

Author's Note: I know you've got serious questions in your head as to where I'm taking this but just keep reading, it's about to get soooo good…(hee hee)…at least I hope you'll think it's good. We're coming to the ultimate realization about the entire past of the Centre. Please Review!!!


	22. Love Catherine, Always Andrew

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of                       its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My                          knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its                 name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French. I do not know anything about Harfleur or                             the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize                               to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. No offense to Andrea Parker, I just felt it                               was the best name for the character. That's it. Read it now! 

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but                              you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's                  point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting 

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 22 

**Love Catherine, Always Andrew**

It took three days for Angelo's response to reach Jarod and Ms. Parker by express mail. Plans to go after the scrolls had been put on hold as they awaited what the disc would tell them. Ms. Parker knew that Jarod was still SIMming how they would get the scrolls out but she couldn't focus enough to help him. Her mind kept drifting back to everything her father had ever told her that had turned out to be a lie and the time that her Inner Sense had brought her mother to her to say that her father knew all of the answers…but then, had she meant Mr. Parker, or Raines…or someone else entirely? Jarod knew that the thoughts were consuming all of her time and tried to distract her with a ride down the Seine, fancy food, and even a shopping trip where she had got some killer leather boots. But still, her mind kept wandering back to her father and the disc. She even started to wonder if all of the thinking she'd been doing in the last week was starting to damage her brain. Finally, the disc arrived.

****

Ms. Parker and Jarod's Hotel Room, The Claudette Hotel, Harfleur, France

A knock on the door roused Ms. Parker from her thoughts. She got up from her sitting position on the bed and walked to the door. Jarod was too lost in his SIM to let the door knocking bother him.

"What?" she barked as she flung the door open.

"Pardon, C'est pour vous." A hotel attendent said that the envelope he was holding was for her and handed it to her.

"Merci," she said politely. She waited for him to walk down the hallway and then slammed the door shut and ran over to Jarod. "Jarod, it's here."

Finally pulled out of his SIM, Jarod looked up at Ms. Parker, "What?"

"The disc, it's here."

"Oh. Well, come on, lets put it into my laptop."

"There's a note too."

"What does it say?"

"More soon…Angelo."

"I guess it wouldn't all fit."

They pushed the disc into the drive and sat down to see what it could possibly have to tell them. The first part was a letter to Ms. Parker about why Mr. Parker had put the disc into the pacemaker. It described a promise that he had made to Catherine.

****

The Parker House, The Day Before Catherine Parker's Murder (Artificial Suicide)

"Catherine, they know!" Mr. Parker said in a low incredibly distressed voice.

"And what are they going to do, Andrew, kill me?"

"Probably. It's the Centre, anything they don't like, they destroy, any truth you find, they corrupt it. I know…it's my family."

"Andrew, If that's what's meant to happen, then that's what will happen. I will not quit trying to help the children escape from that place."

"Catherine, you have your own child to take care of."

"Andrea will be fine, the voices assured me."

"Oh, the voices…Catherine, you can't trust those crazy voices."

"Why not, darling? They seem to be the only thing that hasn't lied to me."

"Catherine, it was not my choice to withhold that information from you."

"I know," Catherine finally sounded as though everything Mr. Parker was warning her against was sinking in, "But, I can't stand knowing the truth and not doing anything to stop it. I have to stop it."

"What about our daughter?"

"If something happens to me, I want you to record every bit of truth about the Centre that you can and save it to give to her when she's old enough for it."

"Why?"

"I don't want her to live in the lie that I've been living in. Promise me that you'll save it for her so she gets it when she's safe to have it."

"I promise. Catherine, please be careful."

"I'll try Andrew, but I will not stop my work."

"Okay…but I don't know how long I can pretend that I don't know what's going on. Someone will catch on eventually."

"It's going to be okay. The voices say so. You'll have Andrea and Andrea will have you and Jarod."

"Jarod?"

"Well, of course, don't you know how important his role in all of our lives is?

"No. I don't understand."

"It's best if I don't tell you anymore than this…like you said, someone will catch on soon and it will be better if you know less."

"I love you Catherine."

"Always Andrew."

****

Mr. Parker's letter to Ms. Parker contained a paraphrase of his last conversation with Catherine. Ms. Parker was in tears when they finished reading it. The letter finished off with something Catherine had asked him to tell Ms. Parker and was followed by a letter from Catherine herself.

****

Angel, your mother will always be with you. She told me to make sure that you knew that. I'm sorry for the lies I'm going to have to tell you over the years for your protection. Someday, you will understand why I did it. Someday, you will find the truth. Even as I record all of this, I cannot tell you the whole truth, it may fall into the wrong hands. I wish you the best in life and I look forward to watching you grow up into the woman that your mother was. Always my Angel.

                                    Andrew Parker

****

My darling Andrea,

            I've asked your father to make sure you get this letter. I know that my time is short, the voices tell me so. I know that you have the gift of the Inner Sense as well, listen to it always, it is me, it is your family. We will always be watching to make sure that everything turns out as it should. I want you to know the reason that I am no longer with you. I discovered a large part of the Centre's past which they had tried to cover up. The ancient scrolls tell the entire story, past, present, and future. You will find them on a trip with Jarod, I believe. Shortly after, you will receive this letter and one from your father. Everything that you need to know is in those scrolls. I left them where I found them, on the Island of Carthis. Margaret knows where they are but not what they conceal. I thought it best that she not know what was going to happen to her…though it was hard to hide it from her. Margaret was my best friend, darling. But you will know that to. Be sure to tell Jarod that she loves him and will find him soon. I love you always.

                                    Catherine Parker

****

"Jarod, I already knew that my mother knew that she was going to die," Ms. Parker said softly, in disbelief, "But, this sounds like my father knew too…and that he didn't know she staged her suicide…"

"She was best friends with my mother," Jarod followed up with his own look of disbelief.

Author's Note: Okay, that didn't really answer much but the answers are coming, promise. By the way, I wish all the best of luck to Andrea Parker (Ms. Parker) on her new show "Less Than Perfect." In all seriousness, it's not as great of a role as Ms. Parker, but she has some of the trademark sharp tongue dialogue…sigh, I miss the Pretender. Please Review!!!

Disclaimer for the above: I don't have the rights to use the name "Less Than Perfect," sorry ABC. 


	23. Soon, Truth Soon

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any ofits affiliates nor NBC or TNT. My apologie sto the Pez corporation. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, butyou can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker'spoint of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 23

****

Soon, Truth Soon

Sydney's Office, The Centre

Sydney and Broots had searched all of the Centre's records tirelessly. Everything that they found just raised more questions than they already had. On the third day of their search, they were ready to give up when a phone call to Sydney's cell interrupted their investigation of the old records.

"Hello?" Sydney answered, wondering who on earth would call him on his cell.

"Well, Dr. Freud, how are you?"

Sydney's mouth formed a soft smile as he responded, "Hello, Parker, how are you?"

"I asked first."

Sydney chuckled at her usual superiority drive, he'd missed hearing her voice for the past few days, "I'm just fine."

"Good. How's the Computer Nerd?"

"Broots is well. A little more worried than usual; Debbie caught the flu."

"Oh," she sounded sincerely concerned, "tell him to tell her I promise we're gonna go shopping when I get back."

Sydney heard a voice in the background. Jarod was talking to Ms. Parker. "Parker, let me talk to him."

"Hold on, Wonder Boy," she yelled at him.

Sydney's face broke into a huge smile and Broots stared at him, wondering what Ms. Parker could have possibly said that would make him smile so much. "So…you're with our local hero?"

"Pez Head? Yeah. Hold on, I think I have to reintroduce him to my gun."

Sydney's smile faded, "Oh, you've caught him."

"Don't sound so glum, Syd. Wonder Boy is just fine. We're in France. The chase is at a temporary cease-fire."

"Oh…you're in France…together." Sydney's delight was apparent in his voice.

"Don't get too excited, Syd, if he doesn't back away from the phone, I might think about ending the truce." Then she laughed because Jarod had swatted her with a pillow. "Here, I'm gonna let Wonder Boy have the phone so I can have my hands free to get him back for that pillow swatting. Jarod, I swear to god, you are going to regret whacking me with that pillow."

Sydney laughed to himself. He was thinking that this must be what they would have sounded like if they had grown up together. Always arguing but never maliciously, only lovingly. Jarod picked up the phone.

"Hey, Syd, did you figure out my clue?"

"Anna Parker. Very clever, as usual."

"I thought you'd remember. What have you found?"

"Medical records for an Anna Oceana Parker and her daughter Nina Parker, as well as orders to kill them both. But, I suppose you already knew that."

"Actually, Syd, this is more of Ms. Parker's clue than it is mine. She'd like to know about Anna Parker."

"Why?" then he answered himself, "…her Inner Sense. Jarod, I'm worried, her senses are getting stronger, she's going to learn too much for her own good. That's why her mother was murdered."

Broots' head snapped up quickly at Sydney's addressing Jarod. Ms. Parker was with Jarod? How odd? Didn't she hate him? Why would she be with someone they'd been chasing for the last six years?

"Syd…there have been developments on that front. Catherine Parker knew what was going to happen…so did Mr. Parker."

Sydney's anger flared up, "Are you telling me he ordered her death!"

"No, Syd, he knew it was going to happen and told her. She chose to remain at the Centre. I don't think he knew that she had staged her death until we all found out about Ethan."

"What?" Sydney said, utterly dumbfounded, "H…how do you know?"

"Mr. Parker hid a disc full of information for Ms. Parker to receive upon his death."

"Mr. Parker is dead?"

"Yes."

"I guess his nine lives finally expired. Can I speak with Ms. Parker again?"

Jarod immediately handed the phone over to Ms. Parker who took it. "We're not through Wonder Boy."

"Parker, did you say that on the Island of Carthis you met a woman named Ocee?"

"Yes. Why?"

"There's a posibility that she was Anna Parker."

"What!?"

"Anna Oceana Parker was ordered dead by the Centre in the 60s. She escaped but her daughter Nina did not."

"Syd, Ocee couldn't have been Anna, it doesn't make any sense," Ms. Parker's voice had lost its surprise. She sounded melancholy. The thought of a dead daughter made her sad, very sad.

"Parker, I know that your Inner Sense is stronger, and I hate to encourage you to use it but perhaps it can tell you the truth about Anna Parker. We're not coming up with much over here."

"Okay, but not right now, I'm tired." She sighed.

"Parker…are you okay?"

"God, people are going to have to stop asking me that before I ram something large down their throats."

Sydney half smiled, "Isn't it nice to know someone cares?"

"No, it's annoying," Ms. Parker said brusquely, though she was just joking.

"Seriously Parker, your father died, its not uncommon for a certain amount of grieving to occur."

"Ah, but I don't even know if he was my father," Ms. Parker sounded slightly haunted.

"That doesn't matter, he still filled the role for most of your life."

"Syd, it's getting late, we'll have our shrink session some other time okay."

"Okay. Say goodbye to Jarod for me. Enjoy the rest of your…vacation…be careful and call again soon." Sydney spoke with fatherly concern.

"Of course, Sydney." The phone call ended at that.

Broots spoke to Sydney, "What was that huge smile for? And why is she with Jarod?"

"It's not safe to say in here, and you probably wouldn't find it funny…you don't understand the situation well enough."

Broots just shrugged and dropped the subject. Sydney was right, it wasn't safe. He'd ask again later. Just then, Angelo dropped out of the air ducts.

"Parker, Jarod, scrolls, truth is soon, not safe here." Angelo told them, agitatedly

"Angelo, what's the matter?" Sydney asked.

"Truth soon, Centre not safe, must leave now." Angelo said firmly.

"Angelo, are you sure? What's going to happen?"

"You go, I stay, help you inside. You go. Truth soon, Centre not safe, must leave now." He crawled back into the air ducts.

Broots turned to Sydney, "What was all of that about?"

Sydney looked contemplative, "I'm not sure, but Angelo's always right about these things. I suppose we should do as he says and leave."

"But, Sydney…" Broots gulped, "isn't it even less safe to leave the Centre just like that?"

"Perhaps not…I've got an idea…we'll leave tonight. Just go about the rest of the day as usual, Broots. Everything's going to be fine."

"I-If y-you say so, Syd," Broots looked extremely worried but left the office to conduct business as usual. Since he was always shaky and nervous, nobody seemed to notice anything wrong.

****

Angelo crawled through the air ducts of Sub-level 27, the place that Jacob had sent them so very many years ago. "Soon, truth soon, Ms. Parker truth about past, Jarod truth about future. Mother's truth."

Author's Note: As Angelo says, the truth is soon. Hope that Ms. Parker's banter with Jarod isn't too smarmy. Tell me if you think it needs work. Seriously, I'm my biggest critic and I know when my writing's sub par…which it usually is. As always, please review.


	24. The Chase Is Over So Get Over It

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any ofits affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. Myknowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using itsname. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do notknow anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don'texpect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there areany. I don't own The Thomas Crown Affair, old or new, MGM does. My apologies to Rene Russofor using her name. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, butyou can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker'spoint of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 24

****

The Chase Is Over So Get Over It

Jarod and Ms. Parker's Hotel Room, The Claudette Hotel, Harfleur, France

It was Ms. Parker's sixth day with Jarod. She knew he was wondering if she would extend her stay with him. However, she wasn't prepared to make that decision until she saw the scrolls. So, she tried to keep him focused on their trip to the museum. She fed him posible scenarios which he SIMmed. They didn't know exactly how the museum was going to be set up; all they had was a blueprint of the building. Still, they did their best with what they had. They planned to infiltrate the museum that night at 9:30, an hour and a half after it closed. When Jarod felt that they had SIMmed most possibilities, they settled in to wait for 9:30 to come around. Ms. Parker turned on the television to take her mind off of what they had to do that night. The Thomas Crown Affair was on.

"Parker what is this?" Jarod asked.

"The Thomas Crown Affair. It's about a millionaire who steals an expensive painting from a museum just for the fun of it."

"Who's that?" Jarod asked, as Renee Russo's character, Catherine Banning, walked across the screen.

"That's the woman who works for the company which insures the painting. She knows that the millionaire stole it, she just doesn't know how to prove it. She gets close to him to find out how but ends up falling in love."

"So, the millionaire loves her too," Jarod stated factually.  
"How would you know? You've never seen it before? Are you foretelling the future now too, Wonder Boy?"

"Well, it just seems to me, if he's so smart, he could have been long gone after he stole the painting, but he stuck around. He must be in love with her."

"Maybe he just stuck around because he didn't think she'd catch him."

"No, he knew she would if he stuck around because she was smart too. He stayed because he wanted to see if he mattered to her as much as she mattered to him."

Ms. Parker was silent, she felt the double meaning of his words…he wasn't just talking about characters in a movie, he was talking about them. She didn't know what to say. She let her usual abusive, vindictive nature take over, "Well, Lab Rat, you assume that she's after more than the chase. Some women just want the game and could care less about the prize at the end."

"Yes, and those women never get the prize because they're too cold and hardhearted to realize what they could lose if the prize walked out the door and never came back," Jarod replied coldly before walking out the door himself. He wasn't going to let Ms. Parker play the game with him anymore. It was obvious all she cared about was the chase. So fine, she won, he'd leave and she could pick up her stupid chase. She would never find him if he didn't leave any clues for her. He'd just dissappear. He didn't need her. 

Jarod made it all the way down to the lobby before Ms. Parker caught up with him. She hadn't even thought before she ran out of the room after him. She let her heart take over for once. She ran down the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator. He was almost out the door when she came up behind him. She grabbed his arm and spun him around. "You are not setting one foot outside of this hotel until you get something straight," she growled, "I did not play this game all of these years because I was afraid I'd lose you if I didn't. I played the game because I'd lose myself if I didn't." She looped her arms around the back of his head and kissed him passionately. He hesitated for a moment before melting into the kiss. A minute passed before she pulled back, bit her lip, and said firmly, "Now, if you want, you can go."

Jarod narrowed his eyes as if seriously considering walking out of the hotel. Then he walked into the spinning door. 

Ms. Parker stood there in shock.

But, he went all the way around and came right back. "Parker, I'm not going anywhere. But, if I stay, the chase is over. You have to stay with me, okay?"

She answered him by again wrapping her arms around the back of his head and kissing him. Then she pulled back again, "I made my decision the minute I ran out of that door after you."

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the elevator and, when they arrived at their floor, into their hotel room. 

After he opened the door, she whispered in his ear, "I've always been yours, you know. I just wasn't ready to give myself to you before." She knew that if she wasn't careful she might admit to loving him soon, but he postponed her thought by dropping her gently on the bed and walking into the bathroom. A confused look crossed her face as she stared at the closed bathroom door. "Why is it he's in there and I'm out here?" she thought to herself. She heard the shower turn on and contemplated joining him…but was that what he wanted? "Did he change his mind? Did he think the kiss was bad? It couldn't have been…it was great. Besides, he carried me up here." She decided to find out what was going on.

****

Jarod had decided to take a shower strictly because he knew if he didn't he wouldn't have been able to keep himself from exploring Ms. Parker. He didn't think that was what she wanted him to do, so, he stopped himself before she did. He let the water spill over his body and tried not to imagine Parker and her long legs waiting on the bed…or had she left? He worried that she had gone but then remembered she'd already agreed to give up the chase. "Did she mean that?" he wondered. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the bathroom door open.

"Jarod, why did you leave me out there alone?"

"Well…" Jarod didn't know how to answer that…and why had she come in the bathroom anyway? He was terribly glad that the glass door on the shower had steamed itself up.

"Jarod, there's no reason to feel embarassed, I was thinking the same thing."

"She was thinking the same thing?" he wondered to himself. Hmmm. He let the door to the shower click open about an inch…as a sort of invitation, if she wanted it.

She didn't waste any time, and, in as little time as it took for her to shed all of her clothes, she was enveloped in the steam with him. She kissed him, long and hard and as he slowly gave into the kiss, his hands traced her back, starting at her waste and moving up into her hair.

"Mmm…I think this is the most perfect moment I've ever had," Jarod smiled down at her.

"Not yet, Wonder Boy," Ms. Parker hinted.

"Parker, are you sure about this?" He asked, hoping that she was.

A very solemn look came to her face, "Jarod, I don't know when it happened, how it happened, or why it happened and frankly, I don't care, but I love you." There, she'd said it…she'd meant it.

Jarod searched her eyes to make sure there wasn't anything malicious in them, all he saw were the same beautiful blue eyes she'd had when he'd met her for the first time. He could feel himself drowning in her eyes. She closed her eyes at his piercing stare.

"Parker, I love you too."

Her eyes sprung open and a tear trickled down her cheek. "Now I really am yours."

They became lost in the steam together.

Author's Note: It wasn't too terribly sappy was it? I tried to make it not sappy but it's really hard to do without writing something very…R rated…which is not the direction I was taking this story. I hope you liked this chapter. More to come as Jarod and Ms. P finally go to see the scrolls and uncover the truth. Review! Review! Review!


	25. Infiltrating the Museum

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any.That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 25

Infiltrating the Museum

Harfleur, France

By 9:00, Ms. Parker and Jarod were dressed in their police uniforms and out on the street. They decided to postpone discussing what had happened so that they wouldn't be distracted during the job at hand. They caught a cab and stopped a block away from the museum in Le Havre. The cab driver didn't understand why cops needed to take a cab, but Jarod quickly explained that they were trying to go undercover. The plan was to climb up to the roof of the building next to the museum and then cross over to the rooftop of the museum. Jarod had seen a roof access door on the blueprint and decided it was the most discreet way to enter the building. If they got caught, they would explain that they were checking the museum's security systen and it was not doing well. Their cop identities were still in the computer database, so the cover worked. When they got to the roof, Ms. Parker began feeling a little jittery.

"Jarod, are you sure about this?"

"Ms. Parker what are your thoughts on the Centre?"

"What!?" Jarod's question had been completely out of nowhere, she didn't understand what he was getting at. 

"Just answer."

"Okay. I think the Centre is a madhouse. A freakshow where Frankensteins do evil doctor work. Besides its being hell, worse than hell, and, oh yah, heel run by the devil, Raines."

Jarod smiled at Ms. Parker's little rant, "Exactly. I've broken into the Centre several times. If I can survive that, you can survive breaking into an art museum where the only thing that can attack you is a framed piece of paper with some paint on it. Now, come on."

"Maybe I'm afraid of artwork."

"You're not," he replied as the lock on the access door clicked open after he entered the access code that his little key card computer had given him. He disappeared into the dark building.

"Great," Ms. Parker mumbled to herself, "I'm running around in the dark with Rat Boy." Then she smiled, after all, Rat Boy was cute…and she loved him.

Ms. Parker followed closely behind Jarod as they wound through the dark empty galleries of the top floor. Apparently, they did not contain an exhibit at the moment and so, were not being watched closely by security. Jarod turned to Ms. Parker and grabbed out for her hand.

"What's that for?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to hold your hand."

Ms. Parker smiled and joked with him, "I'm not two years old, I know not to touch the exhibits."

Jarod just smiled back. 

Jarod had figured that the scrolls would be in an office on the third floor. The building had four floors, but the blueprints had shown a small group of rooms on the third floor which seemed to be offices. They would have to use the main stairwell to go down to the next floor. The third floor would be patrolled and the lights would be on, this made it more difficult for them to get to the offices without being seen. They walked down the stairs close to the wall and stopped outside the archway which lead into the first gallery on the third floor. Jarod peaked around the corner to locate where the surveilence cameras were.

"There are two cameras in the first room of the gallery. One on the east side of the North wall, facing in the southwest direction, and one on the west side of the North wall, facing southeast."

"Jarod, I don't have a compass with me and I have no idea which way is North and which is South, just tell me how we're gonna get in and back out."

"It's simple, really. I can't believe they'd set it up this way, but if we stay along the Northern wall, the cameras won't catch us."

"Where's the North wall?"

"It's the blank wall on the opposite side of this wall we're leaning against."

"I guess they figured that they didn't need to keep surveilence on it if it didn't have any artwork on it."

"No, it's too easy, there has to be another camera in the room."

"Where?"

"They probably hid it on one of the statues."

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"Let them see us."

"What!?" Ms. Parker barely controlled the volume of her voice and Jarod was forced to clap a hand over her mouth.

"Shh…I SIMmed this, we'll just play along like we're with the police department and we're checking their security system. Remember? That was the plan if we got caught."

Ms. Parker pulled Jarod's hand off of her mouth, "Next time you shush me, you better have a damn good reason."

"You were too loud."

"Well, what's the point of being quiet if you're gonna let them find us?"

Jarod sighed, "Just, follow me."

Ms. Parker didn't understand why he'd sighed instead of arguing with her like usual, but they were about to slip into French cop mode, so she didn't bother asking. They crept along the North wall, waiting to hear if an alarm would go off. Remarkably, no alarm went off.

"They really do have bad security."

Since they hadn't gotten caught, Ms. Parker asked why Jarod had sighed.

"Jarod, why did you sigh before?"

"Because, Parker, despite everything you've said and done, it still seems like you don't trust me."

"Oh, but Jarod, I do trust you. I trust you with my life. I just don't like having people thrust their hands over my mouth…unless I ask them too."

"Fine, I believe you." Jarod smiled awkwardly and Ms. Parker picked up on his little joke.

"Lab Rat! You just wanted me to say I trusted you."

"Yes." Jarod chuckled softly, "Now, shhh, we're still trying to not get caught."

"Someday, Jarod, I'm going to get you back for all of this."

"I look forward too it," Jarod replied barely concealing a huge grin.

"I'm sure you do." Ms. Parker said sarcastically before grabbing his hand.

"What's that for?"

"Nothing, I just felt like holding your hand."

They smiled at each other.

Jarod looked into the next room of the gallery. There was a guard standing between its entrance and a third room of the gallery. Behind the guard, Jarod could see two thick mahogany doors. He assumed the offices must be behind them, but how would they get through the two rooms and past the guard?

"There's a guard standing between the next room and a third room. I can see doors on the wall of the third room. The offices must be behind them."

"Well, how do we get past the guard?"

"Actually, this should be easy. He's not just a guard for the museum, he's a guard for the police."

"And… What's the plan?

"You go in there and tell him that you're here to take over his shift."

"Why me? I don't know enough French. It'll never work."

"You're a woman Parker."

"And? Why does that equal my going in there?"

"You're a beautiful woman, and he's a man."

"Thanks for the compliment, but no."

"Parker, come on. Just be your normal self, like at the Centre. He'll be intimidated enough to leave without asking any questions."

"Fine, but you are really going to have to make this up to me later."

"Absolutely." Jarod smiled at her

"Wipe that grin off your face, Lab Rat, and shove it up your ass"

"Parker! What was that for?"

"Just getting into character," Ms. Parker laughed at the shocked look on his face.

"Honestly, I don't know how you do it."

"What? Act like the Ice Queen? It's easy. I just think of Raines and all of the anger boils right up."

"Raines," Jarod said spitefully.

"See how easy it is?"

Jarod nodded in response.

"Now, I need to know what to say in French."

"Just walk up to him, say 'L'heure de partir,' that means time to go, and stand in position. I'm sure he won't say a word, he'll be too shocked."

"L'heure de partir."

"Exactly."

"This better work."

Ms. Parker let go of Jarod's hand and pushed her hair behind her ears. Then, she crossed her arms in front of her and walked out into the gallery. The guard turned around when he heard footsteps and his mouth froze in a half opened position.

"L'heure de partir," she said saucily and then took up a position between the two rooms. As expected, the man was dumbfounded and walked off in a daze through the third room and back out to the main stairwell. As soon as he was gone, Jarod slipped out of his hiding place.

"How did you know that would work?" Ms. Parker asked.

"Because, Parker, everyone who doesn't know you and receives that glare of yours feels ready to die."

Ms. Parker glared at him, "Are you ready to die?"

"I said people who don't know you," Jarod chuckled, "And, besides, you already put a dagger through my heart."

"I should hope so," Ms. Parker replied hotly. She took his hand in hers again, "Now, come on."

Jarod turned the knob and they stepped into a dimly lit corridor with a white tile floor. There were four doors, two on each side of the hallway.

"And behind door number 1 is…" Ms. Parker whispered.

"I have no idea which door it's behind."

Ms. Parker pointed to the furthest door on the left, "It's that one."

"How do you know?"

"I just do, it's…"

"The Inner Sense," they both said at the same time.

Jarod slipped the computer card in the lock, and, once it had deciphered the lock numbers, he punched in the code and pushed the door open.

The room was dark and Ms. Parker flipped the light switch on the wall. The scrolls were resting on a table in the center of the room underneath a pale light. This was the only light in the room. Ms. Parker figured they were trying to keep the paper from rotting under direct light. After all, the scrolls were…well, ancient.

They started with the first of the two rolls of parchment. They unrolled it and began to look over it.

Author's Note: Just assume that there were no surveilence cameras in the room where the guard was, I didn't feel like writing them out of another surveilence situation. 

The next few chapters are going to deal with the scrolls, hopefully. It's very hard to write something God would have written, if the scrolls are in fact the word of God…sigh. Remember, we don't know much so I've made up an extremely large amount of information. I hope none of it sounds too contrived or farfetched. Definitely give me feedback!


	26. Catherine's Grievances and the Truth

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 26

****

Catherine's Grievances and the Truth

"Jarod, this looks like chicken scratches."

"It's Aramaic."

"What?"

"The language of God."

"Well, Wonder Boy, can you read the language of God?"

"No, we'll have to scan it into the computer and translate it."

"And how do you propose we do that? Pull out our magical pocket size computer?"

"No, we'll have to take the scrolls out of the museum."

"What?! Jarod, we can't just walk out the door with them. They're going to know that they've been stolen." Ms. Parker said in disbelief at the words coming out of Jarod's mouth.

"Parker, if we don't take them, the Triumvirate's just going to send another agent and we'll never know the truth about any of this. Wouldn't you rather have the truth in your hands than see it in theirs?"

"Yes. Fine. But, just to make this clear, we're not thieves."

"Like you haven't done so many worse things."

Ms. Parker cringed, "That was a low blow, Jarod."

"Sorry, I just can't see why you have a problem with this."

"I don't, it just feels strange stealing from a museum. Never mind, pick up those scrolls and lets get out of here, okay," She squeezed his hand, which she had grasped right after he finished unrolling the scrolls.

"I'll need my hand back."

"Fine," Ms. Parker sighed.

"You can have it back when I'm done."

"Oh goody!" Ms. Parker said, mildly sarcastic, but really happy…for some reason, she was afraid to let go of him.

Jarod rolled the scrolls back up and placed them in the box that they were recovered with, which was sitting on a counter nearby. He tucked the box underneath his arm, gave his hand back to Ms. Parker, and they made their way out of the museum.

****

The Claudette Hotel

When Ms. Parker and Jarod returned to the Hotel, there was a package waiting for them at the front desk. It was another computer disc from Angelo, or CJ, as it was signed. They went up to their room and sat down on the bed to read the note that Angelo had sent with the disc.

"Disc contain DSA from past. Much truth. Angelo," Ms. Parker read aloud. "My mother's DSA," she said at a loss for air.

"Parker, breath."

"I never thought I'd actually find it. What do you think is on it?"

"I don't know, we'll have to put it in the computer."

Ms. Parker shakily handed the disc to Jarod, who popped the disc into the drive on his laptop and then pulled Ms. Parker down into his lap to calm her down. He held her close as she squeezed his arms tightly, nearly drawing blood with her fingernails. However, Jarod didn't stop her, he didn't want to argue with her when she was in such a panicked state. The disc ran and DSA footage came up on the screen and they temporarily forgot the scrolls while Catherine Parker's DSA ran.

****

Raines' Cabin, The day before Ethan's Birth

Catherine Parker sat calmly on a couch staring directly into the camera she was using to send her last thoughts to her daughter. She knew that she didn't have long, Ethan would be born soon and her time on this earth would end. She only hoped that her darling daughter would understand why she had done what she'd done, and how important it was that she continue her plans.

After waiting for a few seconds to make sure nothing got cut off, Catherine began to speak.

"Andrea, sweetheart, this is the most important thing I will ever tell you…the problem is, it's so hard to know where to start," Catherine shifted in her seat, it was easy to see that she was very close to having the baby.

"I suppose I should start by telling you why it was necessary to fake my suicide. I know that it must have hurt you deeply to have to watch that, to have to see me die. The voices told me that the pain you endured from that one act would stay with you for a very long time. I'm so sorry sweetheart," a tear streaked down Catherine's cheek and she quickly wiped it away. "It was the only way to save your brother…and Jarod's brother. I spoke with Jarod and asked him to tell you to trust your Inner Sense and finish my plan. However, I'm afraid that message won't get to you for many years. It wasn't through any fault of Jarod's sweetheart, I know that you will blame Jarod for a lot of your pain in the future, but someday you will forgive him…I hope that someday you will forgive me."

Catherine's emotions overtook her for a moment and she closed her eyes, the voices were echoing in her head along with so many thoughts and secrets, the Centre's secrets and lies. She grimaced, she had a job to do, and she needed to focus.

She opened her eyes and continued with what she intended to stay. "There are so many questions I'm sure you have about how everything unfolded. It's difficult to explain exactly what happened, how everything led up to where I am now and where you will be when you receive this. 

"I suppose you should know that I've covered my tracks so well. I left a series of misguiding information with several people. Sydney will never tell you any of this; I didn't want to leave him with that task. You must forgive him as well for following my wishes. Sydney doesn't even know the whole story, the only one that does is your father…but I'll explain that later. I've told Sydney that someone was planning to kill me, and that's true. I also told him that I was faking my death, whether or not he believed that, I don't know. In any case, don't blame him my darling, he doesn't know the whole story and what he does know, I'd rather that you heard from me than him. 

"I told Jarod that your father was planning to kill me, that was also a cover-up. I know I caused you even more pain by allowing you to believe that your father and I were fighting, but the truth is, we staged that as well. Your father loves me darling, and I love him as well, I'm sorry that we had to mislead you. Your father has been an important part of this cover-up, but in the end, I didn't even tell him the whole truth. He doesn't know I'm alive at this moment. Like you, he believes that I died in that elevator. I lied to protect him so that he could protect you."

Catherine closed her eyes again, and shook her head silently, trying to keep the voices from whispering in her head and distracting her.

"The Centre has used your father and I in the most despicable ways, sweetheart. His family is to blame…but even that explanation has to wait until later.

"The most confusing thing of all, to you, will be the idea that I allowed Mr. Raines to help me. I had no choice. If I hadn't Ethan would be kept under lock and key, at least this way he can know what the outside world is like…something that Jarod never had the chance to know, something that, in your own way, you never got to know.

"Mr. Raines is dangerous, my darling, I know what he is planning…he will kill me."

Catherine Parker couldn't control her trembling any longer and remained quiet for a moment. She glanced down at her swollen stomach and rubbed it softly, a small smile coming to her face.

"Your brother says hello."

Catherine's expression turned grave again.

"Don't trust Mr. Raines. Whatever you do, don't trust him at all."

Catherine's voice showed desperation and she tried to control it before continuing.

"There is some startling information that you will receive. I don't know if you'll get it before the moment you see this or not, but Mr. Raines is your biological father."

Catherine's face was pained and she mumbled something inaudible.

"That was the most contemptible thing the Centre ever did to your father and I. Your father was unable to have children, we were contemplating adoption, but decided against it and instead endeavored to find a donor. Unfortunately, your father's family found out and threatened that if we did not have a baby of Parker genetics, they would not allow your father or I to live. Again, my apologies…we had to so that we could survive. It doesn't matter though; you were the best gift your father and I ever could have received.

"Raines didn't know, darling. He never knew that I understood that he was your father's brother. He never knew that he was your father either, that was the one battle that your father and I won against them. In the end, we convinced them that it was safer for Centre interests if Mr. Raines was kept as far out of the Parker family circle as possible."

Catherine stopped again as the voices warned her that her time alone was coming to an end.

"I don't have much time, so I suppose that now I should explain my plan…and the scrolls…

****

Author's Note: There are several things you have to assume for this to work. One is that Ben never had an affair with Catherine. He may have been part of her cover in fact. Another is that Mr. Parker was in fact an okay guy. I have to say that the tally of good things he's done is greater than that for Raines, but sometimes it's still a stretch. I look at it this way, Mr. Parker did cry when Catherine "died," he did grieve for Faith and say that no one should die alone, and he did jump to get rid of the scrolls. However, he also lied to his daughter and kept her from finding out the truth. On several occasions he said he'd tell her everything and that there was so much she needed to know, but then, he never told her. Who knows who's good or bad? That's the beauty of this show. I think I said it around the third or fourth chapter: at the Centre, anyone can be family and anyone can turn around and stab you in the back. For all we know, Sydney could be a mastermind running the whole show. I wouldn't write it that way, but with Craig and Steve, who knows what they'll cook up next…if they ever make that third movie.

Anyway, I managed to avoid writing the scrolls for another chapter, so I'm happy. I hope you enjoyed this and that you didn't feel it was a waste of time. I'm currently more actively pursuing another of my stories, so I apologize if it takes a while for chapters of this story to come up. I'm juggling five stories at the moment and trying to start a sixth…I must be crazy. Oh well, I'm having fun anyway. Thanks for reading. Luv Ya! Please send a review!


	27. Catherine's Plan and the Scrolls Part 1

****

To My Dedicated Readers: I would like to apologize for the state in which the first 16 chapters of this story were posted. I can't believe you would bother to read them the way they were! A friend of mine posted them and hadn't realized that I didn't put empty lines between each line of text…oops…so they were posted directly from Word without proper formatting. As you will notice, ever since Chapter 17, when I took over posting myself, I've posted from an html document so as to save formatting. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES TO YOUR EYES FOR ANY DISTRESS CAUSED TO THEM! I've fixed that little problem now. Thanks so much for submitting yourself to the eye torture and again, my sincere apologies.

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 27

****

Catherine's Plan and the Scrolls Part 1

Catherine Parker toyed with the hem of her dress for a moment before continuing her story, recording it so that one day her daughter might understand where she came from and who she was.

"The scrolls are what started this whole mess." She paused again. "If only it weren't so complicated to explain…"

The voices in her head were resonating, confusing her as they murmured incessantly and incoherently. Then one voice came through clear; it sounded remarkably like a young child…Angel. 

"_The words are not important, it's the story she must hear…they must hear."_ The voice said softly.

"They?" Catherine mumbled softly, her eyes half closed, trying to focus on what the voice was telling her.

__

"Yes, of course, that girl and boy. Tell them, it's time."

Catherine remembered that she was recording, and that her time was running out. She returned her attention to the camera.

"Darling, one of the voices says that you're with someone else, I suppose that would be Jarod. I don't know how long it's been since he escaped, or how old you are now, but I hope you're both happy together. What I know is limited, merely that there were large plans regarding you and Jarod, your destiny and his…I suppose that's the most important thing about the scrolls that I have to tell you."

Catherine emitted a long sigh and rubbed her temples. This was difficult and her concentration was waning. She tried to refocus.

"The story of your father's grandfather is where this all begins. He was a kind and gentle man, very loving towards his children. Then he found the scrolls."

Catherine shifted in her seat, pausing once again.

"When he read what they said, the story that they portrayed for the future, he became corrupted with the ideas of power and greed it offered him. He never finished reading them though. He was interrupted and his daughter, Angel, stole the scrolls from him so that she could re-hide them."

Catherine smiled as Angel's voice whispered in her head again. "Angel says she'll be there to help you when you go to find the scrolls."

Catherine's face fell again. She needed to continue and she was interrupting herself far too often.

"Angel was the first one to possess the gift of the Inner Sense. That's one of the other truths behind this tale, one of the most important ones.

"Angel could feel the change in her father after he read the scrolls, that's why she took them from him and re-hid them. When he found out, he was furious and he threatened to kill her if she didn't tell him where they were. Angel wouldn't tell, and he burned the house to the ground with his family trapped inside.

"Angel hid the scrolls well, though, and he couldn't find them. He was left only with what he remembered of them. He sailed to America the next day."

Catherine stopped, realizing the holes in her story. "I forgot to tell you that all of this occurred on the small island of Carthis, off the coast of Scotland, and that only one person besides Angel knew where the scrolls were hidden, her cousin Anna. The story is so complicated, there's so much to tell, so much that you need to know."

Catherine sighed. "I suppose it's best if I stick with one part of the story and then tell the rest. I'll work from your great grandfather's side first.

"When he arrived in America, he had very little with him. He sought refuge in Boston, where he found a man willing to offer him room and board. This man ran a local bar. The two quickly became friends, so your great grandfather brought up the scrolls. The man who ran the bar called two of his friends and they held a meeting about the scrolls.

"Your great-grandfather convinced them that the scrolls were real, and enticed them with the power and money that could be theirs if they found the scrolls again.

"The other three men were shrewd business men, and they wouldn't believe all of what your grandfather said. So, they set up a proposition, they would forward some money to him, the money which led to the creation of the Centre, but ultimately they were in charge of any of his pursuits. These three men became the Triumvirate.

"For several years, your great-grandfather carefully constructed the Centre and his life. He married and had a son, your grandfather, and worked in the field of upcoming technology. Your grandfather stayed on the cutting edge of science, because he knew it was a lucrative field.

"However, the Triumvirate didn't feel that their investment was making as much money as it should, and threatened to destroy the Centre. Your great-grandfather was a quick thinker, however, and reminded them of what the scrolls said about his business. He also offered them a new field of study, the human mind.

"Your great-grandfather had not forgotten the gifts of his daughter, Angel, and was continuing to search for others like her, hoping that they would lead him to the scrolls again. He also hoped they would help him learn of new ways to further his power in the scientific world.

"His new propositions kept the Triumvirate at bay, and your great-grandfather did well, accumulating anyone who he could find that seemed to exhibit the gift. One of these was a woman who married your grandfather. They had a son, your father, and when you great-grandfather died, business was transferred into your grandfather's hands with the assumption that one day your father would marry another woman who had the gift of the Inner Sense. That woman was me."

Catherine paused after her long, and getting longer, story, to catch her breath a little.

"Your father had no idea that he was set up to meet me, and we did actually fall in love. When his father told your father that it was all part of the plan, he told me. That's one thing I will always be thankful for, your father never lied to me.

"I've already told you about the struggles we went through before we had you, so I won't linger there when there's so much more that I need to tell you.

"When your father learned all of what was going on, we formulated a plan to stop the Centre, we couldn't let them keep doing what they were doing. Together, we planned to find the scrolls, and ruin the Centre. You see, for quite some time, the Triumvirate had been displeased with the way the Centre conducted business. They had found out about some of the Centre's projects and disapproved of them, so, if they had the scrolls in their possession, the Centre would be finished.

"The Centre had already started the Pretender program, as well as several others. They were just children, stolen from their families. So, the first thing we did was set about freeing the children. However, we never got to the most important seven: Jarod, Kyle, Alex, Eddie, Bobby, Timmy, and Tyrone.

"I found out that the Centre knew I was the one freeing the children and planned to assassinate me. That's when I staged my suicide, and here I am now."

Catherine stopped to catch her breath again. "Now, I suppose you'd like to know about Jarod's mother and my final plan to end the Centre…Jarod, if you are there, there are some important things that I need to tell you…

****

Author's Note: It's coming, slow and steady. I'm writing the next chapter at this very moment. It seems, despite what I said in the last chapter, that this story wants to write itself much more than my others do. I just may have three new chapters on this in one week. YAY! I'm hoping to wrap this baby up soon, it's getting quite long, don't you think? Anyway, hope you liked it and that Catherine isn't too boring and the truth isn't too contrived. Like I said, it's difficult coming up with all of this. There are so many loose ends to tie up, so much to tell, and "so much you need to know" as Mr. Parker says quite often.

In "And the Winning Date Is…" I posed the question of who the eighth red file was if Parker, Jarod, Kyle, Alex, Eddie, Lyle, and Angelo made up seven of them, I guess I answered that with Tyrone. Hmm. I wonder who the actual eighth file was going to be? Come on Craig and Steve, I need my third movie!!!! Well, enough of my ramble, I've got stories to write! Please send a review, I'll love you forever! Buh Bye!


	28. Catherine's Plan and the Scrolls Part 2

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. I also used information provided in the episodes "Dragon House," "Bloodlines," and "The Inner Sense" as well as the movies "Pretender 2001" and "Island of the Haunted." These episodes/movies do not belong to me, and no infringement, violation, encroachment, etc. was intended (It's just a part of the show's history that I needed to use.) That's it. Read it now!

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 28

****

Catherine's Plan and the Scrolls Part 2

Catherine Parker closed her eyes softly for a moment and then opened them again. "Jarod, I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you. I tried to stop it, but there was only so much we could do. You're special, so very special."

Catherine stopped again. "I know that you make my little girl happy, and I'll be eternally grateful for that fact. I only hope that what the scrolls say about your future is correct…but, I can't get into that right now.

"Jarod, Tyrone was the Centre's first pretender, he knows a lot about the pretender program. Someday I hope that you find him so that you can ask him some of those questions you have. But, the biggest question I'm sure you have is about who you are, and that one I can answer myself.

"Your mother and I became friends while we were both at NuGENESIS hoping to conceive via in-vitro fertilization. We came to be very close in a short amount of time. Of course, the Centre frowned upon any involvement with people outside of its jurisdiction, and I was told that I was not allowed to fraternize with your parents any longer. That all changed after you were born.

"The Centre has always wanted to achieve power any and every way that they can; trading on my friendship with your parents was a way for them to achieve that goal faster."

Catherine frowned and paused for a moment as all of the feelings from her past threatened to swallow her whole. But she had a job to do, and she was damn well going to finish it, before she didn't have the chance to do so any longer.

"Despite the Centre's wishes, I had stayed in contact with your parents over the four years that passed between our meeting and the time that you were found to contain the gene of a pretender.

"I never wanted your parents to have to deal with the world of the Centre, but again, they threatened to kill me and my husband if we didn't do as we were told. I couldn't take that risk while Andrea was so young.

"I planned to meet your parents. They had been under the assumption that I was in town for a few hours after a recent travel and would like to visit with them. We met and talked.

"I made up a story about the lovely school that my daughter was going to because she was such a gifted and bright child. I suggested to your parents that they should try to send you there as well. You see, they had told me of how advanced you were, compared to the other children your age, in the letters they had sent me. Andrea had been the same; far more intelligent than the children her age, but I kept them from administering the same test to her that you had undergone.

"They thought it was an excellent idea because they wanted you to be in an environment in which you were comfortable; other children at the same level as yourself would have been peers worthy of your gifts.

"You had already started kindergarten at a school in Charlevoix Michigan. Your parents had no idea that NuGENESIS was a subsidiary of the Centre or that Avalon Elementary was where the Centre usually had the children from NuGENESIS schooled.

"The Centre had set up their program at NuGENESIS so that after a child was born with their help, that child would have to go through a batch of tests every year to make sure they were healthy. This meant that the families of the children had to stay within the area, that's how they all ended up at Avalon Elementary. However, they didn't want to seem too stringent in their conception program, so, if the family did not stay within the area, they were merely expected to visit NuGENESIS once a year from wherever they lived at that point in time.

"Your parents had followed those plans, after moving to Michigan, and during the routine test, the Centre discovered, through NuGENESIS, that you had the ability to become a pretender with the proper training. That's when your parents became involved in the world of the Centre.

"I couldn't lie to your parents that way, Jarod. I knew that the Centre was watching my conversation with them, but after we parted ways, I caught up with them later. I had managed to lose the sweeper that was traveling with me so that I could tell your parents the truth.

"Unfortunately, your parents didn't move fast enough. The Centre discovered what I had done, and that night, they stole you before your parents had a chance to move you and themselves. It was only then that they realized how grave a situation they were in and how dangerous the Centre really was.

"Over the next several years, I worked with them to try and free you from the Centre. We had almost lost hope when Kyle was stolen from them as well, but we couldn't give up. It wasn't until I began to master my gift of the Inner Sense that we gained any ground in freeing you.

"I had already started to free some of the other children, but I saved those in the pretender program for last. After we freed the pretenders, my husband and I were planning on leaving the Centre with your parents. That way, we could raise Andrea away from their world, and help to keep your parents below radar.

"While we were preparing to free the pretenders, we also worked to end the Centre. My husband had told me the story of the scrolls, so your parents and I began to search for them, starting back where the Centre began, the Alley Sports Bar."

Catherine finally took a short break from her long narrative to move into a more comfortable position on the couch. Ethan was kicking inside her stomach wildly. "I can't seem to get your little brother to calm down." Catherine laughed softly. Then her face became etched with sorrow again. "It's a pity I'll never get to see him grow up. I bet he'd be a rambunctious little boy."

Catherine allowed herself a little while longer to grieve over the life of the little boy that she would never get to know or be a part of. "Promise me that you two will take care of Ethan. He'll need you, and I know that you'll both need him as well. Your families have been fragmented, I only hope that one day you will be able to piece them back together."

Catherine sighed deeply and then returned to her story.

"Margaret and I went to the Alley Sports bar along with Charles while Mr. Parker stayed to make sure the Centre's attentions were diverted from us as much as possible.

"When we arrived, the voices began whispering frantically, but one stood out the most, the voice of Angel. She guided us to Carthis and subsequently to the scrolls and her cousin, Anna.

"I suppose that now, I should tell you what exactly we found in the scrolls, and who exactly Anna is…but most importantly, what the scrolls predicted your destiny would be…this is the hardest part of the story to tell, but it needs saying. I believe I'll start with Anna…"

Author's Note: Okay, I have made up massive amounts of information here and tried to cross check it with information provided in the actual episodes of The Pretender. If there are any holes, please tell me what they are so that I can find them and plug them up. If I can't, you'll just have to suspend disbelief. Here are some of the things I've found so far that I'll need to answer: 

How Mr. Parker knew about Mirage (Ethan) but not that Catherine had faked her suicide and how he ended up with Catherine's DSA. 

Why Mr. Parker shot Raines to keep him from talking to Ms. Parker in "Inner Sense," and most particularly, why Mr. Parker was still at the Centre at all.

Why Margaret needed the map, doll, etc. when she went back to the Island in IOTH.

How Catherine, and then Mr. Parker, could read the scrolls if they're written in Aramaic.

How Ocee (Anna) fits into this time frame if she was around Angel's age in 1908 (When Angel died) and was still alive in 2001. Umm…she may have been 93 in IOTH, which she didn't appear to be, she seemed to be around 70 or under a bit…I'm still working on this one but I wrote it, so it's my own fault. I think I've contracted some vicious disease revolving around The Pretender that causes writers to lose comprehension of reasonable time frames (Ahem, Craig and Steve…you have this problem as well) …anyone wanna name this little disease?

If you've got any ideas at all, I'm open to whatever you've got. I've got a few plans and ideas up my sleeve, but I'd love to hear yours as well. Also, I'm serious about telling me if you find plot holes, I wanna know. Honesty is the best policy, right? On that note, extra special thanks to Sauron 764 for questioning the idea of the scrolls being written in Aramaic. It's nice to know you guys are paying attention to the little stuff.

Thanks for reading and reviewing, it makes my day any day of the week. I'm working on the next chapter, now. I have hopes that it will be done by Tuesday…but no promises. Love Ya! Buh Bye!


	29. Catherine's Plan and the Scrolls Part 3

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. 

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short.

The Truth Is Waiting

By Bec-Bec

Chapter 29

****

Catherine's Plan and the Scrolls Part 3

"Anna Oceana Parker was Angel's cousin. They were very good friends as they were growing up." Catherine began the story about Anna and her part in Jarod and Ms. Parker's destiny. "When Angel discovered what was happening to her father, she had asked Anna for help. Together, they rehid the scrolls.

"Angel's father had no idea that Anna had helped her, so she was never killed along with his family. In fact, it wasn't until the late 1960s that anyone from the Centre went after her.

"Anna had stayed on the island, hoping to protect the scrolls from being found, particularly by any descendents of her uncle. She knew they would come some day because she had the gift of the Inner Sense as well…that's how she knew when Margaret, Charles and I were coming.

"She had been using her middle name for protection, but when we found her, she told us who she was. I wasn't sure she could be trusted at first, but my Inner Sense reassured me. It was also around this time, that I began to see images of Angel, helping me to know where to look and what to do.

"I could feel that something was about to occur, something dreadful, so I sent Margaret and Charles away."

Catherine smiled fondly. "Jarod, your parents are stubborn people, they practically refused to leave me to search alone because they were concerned about my safety as well. They're good people."

Her serious expression returned. "Eventually, I convinced them that they were in far more danger than I would be, if the Centre discovered I was there.

"My sense had been correct, and my husband caught up with me the day before the Centre would have arrived and discovered what my actions had been.

"However, Andrew did not find me until after Anna and I had already been to see the scrolls. Now, I suppose I should tell you what I found, and how greatly it will affect your lives."

Catherine breathed out a long sigh while a smile stretched across her face. "I suppose this is actually the only good thing to come of this entire story, if everything occurs as the scrolls said it would.

"Jarod you are far more special than even you know. Your gifts are infinite, your ability to help others immeasurable. I'm sorry for everything they've done to you, all of the lies they've told you, all of the times no one was there for you, but it's all going to be better.

"The connection you have with my daughter is incredible, and even I can't understand it in its entirety.

"After my daughter is sent to boarding school, you will be separated by space, but your bond will remain unbroken, even after all of the years that you will be kept apart. Someday you two will find your way back to each other, and the world as you know it will change immensely.

"You see, Jarod your place at the Centre is not to facilitate their work, but to end their madness. When the time comes, you and my daughter will win this war, and the Centre will be overcome. It will change, in the only way that it can with you two in charge. The Centre will go on to do great things under your rule, and the black part of its past will be erased.

"I was upset when I first read the scrolls because they spoke of yours and my daughter's absence from each other's lives for a great deal of time. It was hard to imagine after how I'd seen you two getting along. I didn't understand why Andrew would have separated you two, but I figured it out.

"Andrea, your father sent you away because it was the only way to protect both of you. He knew that your bond with Jarod would grow as you spent more time with him. As you continued to compliment each other's faults, someone would eventually realize that, working together, you could do great things for the Centre. Eventually, the Triumverate would realize it as well and take you away to their facilities in Africa. He may have underestimated your talents and decided that once there, you would never be able to escape, but he was also working under the assumption that eventually they would have you work to find the scrolls, and the Centre's power base would be destroyed. He couldn't let that happen.

"Despite everything, your father still had hopes that the Centre could do good work. I can't blame him for that, because it is part of my plan as well.

"I don't know how long it will take you two to reconnect, but when you do, and I believe you have wherever it is that you are when you watch this, my plan can finally be set in motion.

"You must rediscover the location of the scrolls. This may be difficult because I don't know where they will go after your father sacrifices his life to protect them. The scrolls never informed me of that little piece of information, just that you would find them eventually.

"When you have them, you'll have the tools necessary for the downfall of the current Centre and the creation of the new one.

"You will use them to bargain with the Triumverate, debasing the power of the Centre, and calling for your own right to run it. In your hands, the Centre will prosper far more than it ever had, the scrolls will give evidence of this, and the Triumverate will give you whatever you should happen to ask them for, as well as help in facing anyone at the Centre who refuses to comply with their new leadership.

"I know that you two will do wonderful things with the Centre and that you will help many people. My only wish is that you never allow the ideas of greed and power to overtake you and that you never let individuals who would be driven by such things anywhere near the Centre hierarchy. I trust that you will do what is right."

Catherine winced suddenly. "My time's almost up. Your little brother is becoming tired of his current living situation." She laughed lightly, before completing her tale.

"I'm sending this DSA to your father with someone I can trust, he should be here shortly. I've given him instructions to make sure it is guarded in the safest way possible. It is the only way that your father will even know that I am still alive.

"Trust him, darling, whatever he's done that's brought you to wherever you are today, was necessary for your safety and the safety of our plan."

Several tears escaped Catherine's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She blinked the others that were threatening to spill away. "Goodbye my little girl. I'll always be with you; my voice will always guide you. And Jarod, it was wonderful getting to see you and my little girl together for the preciously short amount of time that I did. Take care of her for me and make sure your brother stays safe."

With that, Catherine turned off the camera and wept.

Author's Note: Sigh…For as much as was said, I somehow feel that I didn't say enough. But, I suppose that's just because Catherine's story isn't over until her plan is completed. Anyway, if there's something you think I should have added to my explanation of the scrolls and Catherine's plan, feel free to comment. I myself have a little problem with the fact that Ocee would have already known Margaret in IOTH if my story were how events actually occurred…oh well. We're finally going back to Parker, Jarod, Syd and Broots in the next chapter…which will be written eventually. Forgive me for my delay, and don't worry I have been writing and I'm not abandoning any of my stories. Thanks for reading. Love Ya!


	30. Impending Climactic Confrontation

Disclaimer: Sigh…Sadly, I do not own the characters of The Pretender. I in no way wish to defame any of its affiliates nor NBC or TNT. I know very little about France and have never been there. My knowledge of the French language is limited. If there is a Claudette Hotel, I apologize for using its name. I do not mean to offend anyone who is French or the French police departments. I do not know anything about Harfleur, Le Havre or the Normandy coastline, so if you go there, don't expect it to be the way I described it. I apologize to any museums in Le Havre, France, if there are any. 

Summary: Clues to the past bring Ms. Parker and Jarod back together again. Very involved in IOTH, but you can understand it without having seen it. Ties up most story lines. Mostly from Ms. Parker's point of view. Chapters are short. 

**

The Truth Is Waiting

**

By Bec-Bec 

Chapter 30 

**Impending Climactic Confrontation**

Several tears escaped Catherine's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She blinked the others that were threatening to spill away. "Goodbye, my little girl. I'll always be with you; my voice will always guide you. And, Jarod, it was wonderful getting to see you and my little girl together for the preciously short amount of time that I did. Take care of her for me and make sure your brother stays safe." 

With that, the screen went black as Catherine's image faded back into the past. 

Neither Parker or Jarod moved, held in an awed, disbelieving silence. Then, Ms. Parker suddenly sprang off of Jarod's lap and began pacing frantically, muttering words that weren't comprehensible, though Jarod discerned several expletives every now and then. 

Studying the moon shaped marks Parker's nails had left in the flesh of his arms, Jarod realized her vice-like grip had drawn blood. At the time, he had been oblivious to her fingernails breaking through his skin. He had felt her tight grasp on his arms and returned the strength in his own grasp around her waist, but was unaware of just how strong a grasp it had been. Both had needed some sort of physical comfort and some way of staying rooted in reality as they heard their lives and destinies echoed through a DSA they had assumed was lost. 

Even now, Jarod didn't feel any pain from the small razor sharp cuts because his mind was too wrapped up in itself. Though, he did vaguely wonder if his grip around Parker had bruised her soft flesh as he stared blankly at the unpatterned marks. At the moment, they were too shocked to realize any pain had been inflicted on their respective bodies. 

Ms. Parker's distracted pacing suddenly halted and she crumpled to the floor, her string of expletives broken every now and then by sobs. Jarod was finally jolted from his own thoughts by the sight of her quivering on the floor, occassionally ramming her fist into it angrily. He approached her slowly, sitting down beside her. 

Jarod wanted to comfort her but also knew that the blow they had both just been dealt would be best confronted singularly before it was approached by the two of them collectively. So, he merely sat next to her, sorting out his own thoughts on the matter. 

Some time later, Parker took a deep breath, having run out of energy from her nearly silent tirade, and realized her fist had been clasped in Jarod's hand to keep her from injuring its already raw flesh further. She stared at the symbol of his unnoticed support for a moment and wondered if she had hurt him by continuing to attempt smashing her hand into the floor. Before she could ask, she saw the little half-moon cuts she had left in his arm before she sprang from his lap. She fingered the little abrasions softly with her other hand and mumbled a soft apology. 

Jarod was pulled from his introspection by Ms. Parker's soft word of regret and slowly uncurled her fist to twine his finger with hers. "Are you okay?" 

Ms. Parker laughed mournfully. "What do you think?" Facing him, she continued. "Jarod, our sordid past just got more twisted. What little foundation was left in our lives was just torn apart and thrown out the window. I'm far from being okay." 

"I'll admit that we have both been done a great injustice by the Centre and some twisted sort of fate, but think of what we can do now that we have this information," Jarod tried to rationalize. 

"Jarod, Mr. Raines is my father, my parents involved me in the greatest ruse ever known to man and both died because of it, I'm a victim of the Parker madness, and some idiotic prophecy has been ruling my life from before I was born, I think I'm allowed to be a little irrational and pissed off," Ms. Parker countered. 

Jarod became more serious. "You're not the only victim here, Parker. My entire family was pulled apart because of those damn scrolls and while it's true that yours was as well, mine was drawn in completely unaware of what they were dealing with." 

"As if my mother knew what she was getting herself involved in," Ms. Parker hissed spitefully. She tried to pull her hand away from Jarod's, but he held on tightly. 

"Parker, it's not going to get us anywhere arguing over who was betrayed and injured the worst," Jarod said with melancholy. "I didn't mean to sound like I was attacking you, none of this is your fault." He sighed. "I was just trying to point out that you're not alone in this. I'm just as enraged with what's happened, but becoming consumed by that anger isn't going to help. We have to use this information to our advantage. It's time to complete your mother's plan." 

"And bargain with the Triumvirate to take charge of the very thing that destroyed our lives? Besides the fact that it's insane, it will never work." 

"Parker, we've got the scrolls, the very things that the Triumvirate formed itself around. If they dictate that the Centre will make more money with us as its leaders, the Triumvirate will willingly hand the Centre to us on a silver platter. We already know that the Triumvirate is upset with the way the Centre's been conducting business, I'm sure they'd have no qualms over removing Raines from power." 

"And if it does work, Jarod? What are we going to do then? Raines and Lyle, not to mention several other authorities at the Centre, will never stand for our usurpation. How can we trust that they aren't going to come after us or the Centre we'll have worked so hard to reform? It's too risky." 

"The Triumvirate will back us in all endeavors because we've got hard proof that our way is the most profitable. As for Lyle, he'll align himself with whomever isn't going to cost him his life. We both know that self-preservation is Lyle's main thought in life. Raines and his lackies are an entirely separate story, I'm sure the Triumvirate has several terrible things in mind for their future. 

"We can do this, Parker. We have to do this or it's never going to end. They'll just keep breaking apart more families, ruining more lives. I can't let that happen when I know that I have it in my power to stop it." 

"How can you be so sure that it will work? Just because the scrolls prophesize that we have some grand destiny to do great things in the world doesn't mean that everything will work out that way. Happily ever after doesn't exist for people like us, Jarod," Ms. Parker said sadly. "The world hasn't changed enough to allow us that sort of satisfaction." 

"And if we don't do anything, Parker, can you live with yourself? I know what it's like to seek penance for wrongs of the past. I may be deluded in thinking that I can somehow make up for all of the terrible things that have happened to people, but it's better than sitting back and not trying at all. I can't live with that option. If we don't try, it's the same as acquiescencing to the death of innocent people at the hands of the Centre, most of whom have no idea what they've been involved in. Even if we can't right every wrong, wouldn't you rather know that you've tried? We have to try, Parker. I'd rather disprove the existence of happily ever after than know that I hadn't tried to achieve it." 

"So we're just going to walk into the Triumvirate and tell them point blank that we want control of the Centre, no matter what could happen from there?" Ms. Parker said in slight disbelief. 

"Yes. They'll probably be mildly shocked when their main venue of income suddenly walks through the door, with the woman who is supposed to be chasing him down, to challenge the power of their main subsidiary but it seems to me that the straight forward approach is the best way to go about this." 

Ms. Parker raised an eyebrow. "Mildly shocked is an understatement." 

"Are you okay with this?" Jarod asked seriously. 

"It had to come to this eventually didn't it? The climactic confrontation of good vs. evil? I suppose I always expected you'd have a showdown with the Centre one day, I just always assumed I'd be on the other side of the fight." 

Jarod watched her carefully before repeating: "Are you okay with this?" 

Parker squeezed Jarod's hand tight then stood up. "Come on, let's go take over a corrupt corporation." 

"It would be my pleasure."Jarod smiled at Parker as he stood and kissed her firmly. 

"I suppose a couple of hours wouldn't make a big difference, right?" Jarod asked as Parker pulled back. 

"No, we do need our rest after all," Ms. Parker said, then smiled conspiratorily. "Though, I don't think you'll be getting much rest." 

Author's Note: Goodness, it's been a while hasn't it. Well, here it is, the next chapter. I'd like to thank Sierra Windfire for showing an interest in seeing this continued as well as for the 20 or so reviews she sent. I love when people show enthusiasm over my work. I tried to get the plot moving along, so that I can finish up within the next several chapters, hopefully soon, but it may have been to the detriment of this chapter and the characters' personalities. Sorry about that. Anyway. Thanks for reading. Love ya! 

Come chat with me on my livejournal at www.xanga.com/BecBecPez 


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